Masterpiece
by birojo
Summary: A man's fascination and obsession proves dangerous for Kim.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Disney owns Kim Possible and all associated characters except the story, its antagonist, and some minor characters.

_Dedicated to my father who passed away in October. Well Pa, what can I say but love you and miss you. I'll never forget what you said when going through your ordeal. "There can be no victory without a cross." Congratulations, you have your victory._

**Masterpiece**

Drip… drip… drip.

Water droplets splash onto his pale white forehead right above his brow.

Drip… drip… drip.

This was all there existed for him, nothing but the steady beat of the droplets while restrained and confined in darkness.

Drip… drip… drip.

He had lost all sense of time. Slept never came for him.

Drip… drip… drip.

A manically laugh escapes him as the drops continue to fall. _At least this is better than the pain. It only comes when the water stops and the lights come on. Darkness and dripping good. Light and no dripping bad._

Drip… drip… drip.

The flirtatious moon peaks out for a moment behind the clouds before shying away again. A cool breeze moves over the manicured baseball field of the Clarkson Cougars as it sleeps restlessly, excited that tomorrow it will host the St. Lawrence Crusaders, the hated arch rival of the Cougars. Just beyond the dugout, a rickety, old, and small tool shed stands by its lonesome.

Suddenly, a group of men decked in blue jumpsuits quietly approach it. The grass crunches beneath their matching black boots. All wear color coordinated helmets except for one, an olive skinned young man with black hair.

"Scan it," orders the olive skinned man.

"Scanning underway, sir," replies the man beside him holding a laptop. Through his helmet's visor, he sees a digital image of black and green develop on his laptop's screen. "Scanning complete, sir," he says as he examines the image for a second. "It appears that the shed holds an entrance to a large underground room, possibly a bunker."

The olive skinned man absorbs this information for a moment. "All right, we go in slow. We don't know what's down there." He looks into the eyes of every member of his team. "Follow my lead." He slowly creeps toward the shed. One by one his team members follow him. Closer and closer he comes to the shed until he reaches the door. Scanning it with a small device, he finds nothing out of the ordinary. Cautiously he reaches for the handle and grasps it firmly. With a mighty tug, the door opens wide. He waits for a moment before entering the shed as his eyes adjust to the dimness. "Ah," he says as the light bulb hanging from the ceiling smacks him in the forehead.

"Sir?" asks one of his group members in a whisper.

"Just a light bulb, agent," replies the man rubbing the marked spot on his forehead. He feels for the pull string and, after finding it, pulls it. The shed instantly illuminates revealing its contents: rakes, line chalk, push lawn mowers, and various small tools hanging from all the green walls. He looks around suspiciously, entering with caution. Upon reaching the far wall, he hits something with his foot. Looking down, he sees a large doormat with the word "welcome" inscribed in it.

Raising an eyebrow, he lifts up the doormat and finds a wooden trapdoor with a metal handle attached to it. Grasping the handle and pulling up, he opens the trapdoor to see a wooden staircase descending into darkness. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his small pocket flashlight. Taking a moment and a breath, he takes the lead and walks down the staircase. The men slowly follow him down after they each turn on their pocket flashlights.

Drip… drip… creak… drip.

_What was that? _The restrained man becomes apprehensive and nervous. Fear floods his veins. _Oh-no! Please no!_ He holds his breath, listening for familiar footfalls descending from above.

Drip… drip… creak… drip… creak… drip… creak.

_No! No! No! _He struggles against his restraints but fails as the footfalls become louder and louder. Streams of light soon filter into the room. "Nooooooo!" he screams.

"Noah!" says the olive skinned man. He quickly descends the staircase and his feet hit concrete. The men behind him follow suit. They fan out and slowly break the darkness with their flashlights. Concrete surrounds them on all sides. Then they see him, strapped, ankles, wrists, and head, to an old dentist chair bolted to the floor. Just over his head, they see a metal tank hang from the ceiling releasing droplets of water rhythmically onto his pale white forehead. His blue jumpsuit shows wet spots under the arms and on his chest. Quickly, they rush to his side and begin to free him.

"No!" Noah screams. "I gave you the answer! I gave you the answer!" He twists and writhes as the men continue to free him.

"Noah," says the olive skinned man as he grasps Noah's head, trying to calm him, "it's me, Will."

"Will?" asks the man in a daze before erupting into hysteria. "No! You're not real! You're not real!"

Will reaffirms his grip on his friend's restrained head. "Noah! I'm here. I'm real."

Noah slowly relaxes and calms down, which facilitates his release from the chair. "Will," he asks as tears start to fall from his eyes.

"Yes, Noah, it's me," Will says smiling down on him.

Noah relaxes completely as he starts to realize that the truth. _Thank you. _His tears pour down.

Will Du undoes the leather straps across Noah's chin and the upper portion of his forehead. "Hang on, Noah," Will Du says as he and another man help a limp Noah out of the chair and onto his feet. "We're taking you home." He places Noah's left arm over his shoulder while the other man does the same with Noah's right arm and, together, they and the others make their way up the wooden staircase and up to the surface.

"How is he?" asks the slender brown haired woman in a blue jumpsuit as she watches Noah sleeping on a medical bed through the medical bay's observation window.

"Sedated," answers the dark skinned male doctor stepping next to her. He stares sadly at the sleeping agent. "Agent Ark has been through something I can only imagine. He has puncture marks localized around almost every joint, especially around his knuckles. His blood work shows a large amount of hallucinogenic agents. Physically, he'll recover. Mentally, he has a long road back to any form of normalcy."

"Just like the others," says the brown haired woman.

"Yes," replies the doctor. "Each has been subjected to different methods leading to the same result." He glances at Agent Ark. "A total mental breakdown induced by extreme distress."

"Torture," concludes the woman.

"Til they cracked," he replies as he reaches into his white lab coat pocket. "When we undressed Agent Ark, this was duct taped to his back." He pulls out a white envelope and holds it out to the brown haired woman, who takes it. "Looks like another message."

Looking down, she reads the inscription printed on the envelope. _To whom it may concern. _She quickly tears it open and pulls out a neatly folded piece of white paper. She unfolds it and reads the content printed on it. _And yet another piece of art but my next will be my greatest, a masterpiece._


	2. Chapter 1

Rumbling down the desolate dirt road in the late afternoon, the lone, specially equipped delivery truck approaches an abandoned airfield situated far in the nearby desert just outside the city of Lense. The driver, a middle aged black man, and his companion, a twenty something white man, stare at the rust red colored, dilapidated air hanger as the truck slows down and stops in front of its doors. The companion exits the truck and, after a few hearty tugs on the rusted metal door handle, opens the hanger doors wide enough for the truck to drive through then walks inside to rejoin the driver, who has exited the truck and moved to the its back after parking it in the middle of the empty hanger. He presses a button on the side of the truck and its large back door slowly opens. The two catch a glimpse of their cargo for the first time as a large metal box with small holes around the top edges moves toward them on mechanized rails. A ramp descends sluggishly from the truck and the metal container slowly rolls down the ramp until a dull clang echoes throughout the hanger as the metal collides and skids across the concrete, dust carpeted floor.

"Boy, there sure is a lot of dust in here," remarks the young man.

"Must be the maid's day off," retorts the driver.

Ignoring the comment, the young man moves around the container and examines it for any clue as to what its contents are while the older man's body language indicates his desire to leave.

"Any guesses as to what's inside?" asks the driver's companion, who clearly has more interest in the unknown contents of the metal box.

"I've been transporting boxes and whatnots for the lab for years. I've since given up on discovering what's in them or understanding what they do. As long as it doesn't explode or eat me, I'm good. Now come on. It's almost dinner time."

"Yeah, okay. But I could have sworn I heard water inside the container. Maybe it's some creature the lab created," said the young man.

"The less you know the better," the driver responds impatiently. "Let it go and let's get out of here."

"Doesn't it seem weird to bring a large metal container equipped with what looks like air holes and carrying water to an abandon air hanger," asks the young man, who still stares at the mysterious container.

"Anything that lab does is weird to me. You would do best to live by the motto ignorance is bliss if you want to continue working there. Now let's go. Dinner is calling and if we don't get back in time, Brad is going to blow his top."

The driver walks toward his companion, reaches over to the young man's arm, and gently pulls him toward the truck. The young man offers weak resistance and soon submits. He slowly walks back to the passenger side of the truck. The driver climbs in the driver's seat and starts the truck as the young man climbs into his seat. Both slam their doors, which produces an echo that resonances throughout the hanger. The truck drives forward, pass the hanger doors, and stops. The young man climbs out again and begins to close the hanger doors. He takes one more last curious look at the metal container before he completely closes the doors.

The metal container sits in silence as the late day sunlight penetrates the hanger's partially dirt covered windows and splashes against its walls and the hanger's concrete floor. Only the shadows in the hanger keep the lonely container company. Suddenly, from a darken corner, a figure slowly separates itself from the shadows that engulfed and hid it while the delivery of the container occurred.

It observed and listened to the two men, who were oblivious to its presence, and watched as the truck exited the hanger.

With a predatory grace, the figure walks toward the box. Its black duster clings to its shoulders as its boots lightly pound on the concrete floor with each step. Within a few moments the figure stands next to the container and slowly runs its hand over the metal wall. It feels the vibrations of the movement of the contained water through its hand. Then a large bang, emanating inside the container, rings throughout the hanger. A cold, delighted smile forms on the figure's handsome face.

_Finally, the package has arrived. Now it can begin._

Suddenly, a vicious sneeze escapes it. "Ah-chooo." It reaches into his black jeans and pulls out a tissue paper and blows its nose. "Okay, mental note… next time… pick a drop off point that has better ventilation and less dust."

He woke up with a splitting headache.

_Those stupid scientists! They most have slipped something in my meal. No wonder it tasted so good. That should have been a warning sign._

He waits until the pain screaming in his head quiets down to a dull whisper. Then looking out through his watery glass container, he discovers he has been transported to a new location. Instead of the old familiar lab that greets him every time he wakes up, he stares out into an unfamiliar, clean room with a white tiled floor and four white walls. From his vantage point, he sees a state of the art computer with a multiple screened monitor sitting on a large metal desk, a single chair with wheels standing in front of it, and a metal counter with empty beakers, test tubes, and other chemistry glassware placed on it. He looks straight ahead and spots a metal sliding door, which suddenly opens revealing a dimly lit room beyond it. For some time it remains open.

_Okay?_

Through the opening, a man then steps into the room. The man gracefully walks toward Gill's container with his hands clasped behind his back. The man wears a blood red silk shirt, black trousers, black boots, and a black duster while his fair skinned face holds no expression. An air of confidence and slight arrogance radiates from the man while the lights above highlight his chocolate brown hair. The man stops in front of the glass prison that holds a slightly disoriented prisoner.

"I trust you are feeling some discomfort, Gill, but that will soon go," the man says with a cold smile.

"Who are you and what am I doing here? This isn't the lab."

"You are very observant. No, this is not the lab. You are in my private abode where I go to escape from the world. As to who am I, that is not important right now. All you need to know is that I arranged for your delivery. You see, I need your assistance with a special project I have been planning for some time now."

"Oh, really," questions an irate Gill, "why would you think I would help you?"

"Because I can give you what you want, what you desire the most."

"And what's that?" asks Gill.

"Revenge," the man calmly exclaims, "revenge on Ron Stoppable."

Gill's already ill tempered demeanor morphs into an explosion of fury and rage as the sound of that name reaches his brain. He feverously bangs on his watery glass prison with his fist and feet. The man patiently waits until Gill tires, which occurs in a few moments since Gill has not fully recovered form the aftereffects of the tranquilizer. Soon he stops, due to exhaustion, his barrage against the glass, which withstands his assaults.

"Are you done because I can wait some more," the man says coolly, "it's no problem."

"Yeah," responds a weary Gill. "I'm done."

"Good. Then we can continue discussing the terms of this limited partnership."

"Hold on. What makes you think I need your help to get payback on the squeeb? I could have broken out on my own and totally wreak his life," says Gill.

"I'm sure you could. You just wait and bide your time in that lab until the opportunity presents itself and you take it. Then again I'm offering the opportunity. You are a very patient… mutant, and I can only assume you are intelligent. Which would you chose? Stick around that lab for years waiting for the perfect opportunity to present itself or help me and in the process get back at the… What did you call him?"

"Squeeb," replies Gill, "a squeeb who has gotten all the breaks." His eyes narrow. "He gets to have a normal life, friends, and a future. Oh, let's not forget how he has defeated me and my plans." He swims closer to the glass. "What's next for him: winning the lottery, more popularity, discovering he's some lost royal?"

"Actually, the latest 'good' thing to happen to him is a blossoming romantic relationship with the head cheerleader of his high school."

"Arghhh!" exclaims an ever more frustrated Gill. "He's dating the head cheerleader. Does it never end for him?"

"Issues much," replied the stranger.

"Of course I have issues," Gill snaps. "I'm a mutant." Suddenly a realization strikes him. "Wait a minute, the head cheerleader at Middleton High is Kim Possible, the dweeb's best friend. You're telling me they hooked up."

"Yes, but let's not dwell on that. Let's discuss the plan to get what we both want."

"And what is it you want?" asks Gill.

A sinister grin crosses the man's face,which sends a slight shiver down Gill's spine. A menacing light shines inthe man'shazel eyes. "An opportunity to create a masterpiece," he replies nonchalantly.


	3. Chapter 2

He sits in the back of the classroom as the teacher drones on and on about some uninteresting topic that eludes him. He struggles to remain awake.

_What class am I in anyway?_

His eyelids begin to fall. He catches himself from falling asleep for the third time this class period.

_This is so boring and I don't even know what class this is. Wait, it's… No, no I thought I had it there for a second but lost it. _

Then he looks just ahead of him and stares at the back of her head. Her red hair, within reaching distance, flows down to just below her upper back. He begins to imagine running his hand gently through her soft hair as he has done countless times before. Her scent intoxicates him as he takes a silent deep breath. He desires so much to just play with the tips of her hair but fights it.

_She's probably captivated with this class. I don't want to disturb her from… Oh, numbers and equations on the board! This must be math class. Aw man, math class!_

The redhead in front of the barely unconscious and bored to death young man readjusts her sitting position in order to stay awake.

_When is this class over with?_

She looks at the clock.

_Aw, man. Twenty minutes left to go. There's no way I can last that long._

She has been fighting an epic battle to stay awake for nearly ten minutes but her emanate defeat approaches. Her eyelids begin to become heavy and start to fall as her head begins a slow nose dive toward her open notebook on her desk. Suddenly, she feels a slight pull on her hair tips, which causes her to prop back up in her seat. A small grateful smile crosses her face.

_How great is his timing? _

She allows him to quietly play with her hair as this helps her stay awake. Of course she would have to tell him about the lesson and lend him her notes afterwards, but at least she would be able to.

Twenty minutes later, the bell rings and the students sluggishly climb out of their seats and head for other locations: their lockers, other classes, or the cafeteria. Kim Possible emerges from the classroom slightly more awake than her other classmates thanks to her best friend and, more recently, her boyfriend Ron Stoppable. She walks to her locker while wearing her regular outfit consisting of a green tank top, blue cargo pants, and white sneakers. Ron, wearing his red jersey over a black long sleeved shirt, kaki cargo pants, and white sneakers, quickly rushes up to Kim and falls in step with her.

"Math class was so totally boring today," says Ron.

"It was physics class, Ron," answers Kim.

"Physics class?" exclaims a shocked Ron. "How did I end up in that class? Aw, man that's worst than math class!"

"Why do we always have this discussion every time we leave physics class?" asks Kim as they approach her locker. "It's almost the end of the year and you seem unable to remember that we have physics during fourth period."

"Well, I have math class at third period and I guess they blend into each other. You know how I feel about numbers."

"Not as bad as you do about the M-word," Kim remarks as they reach her locker. She unlocks her locker and replaces some of her books from her backpack with other books in her locker while Ron leans against the closed adjacent locker. "By the way, thanks for keeping me awake back there."

"Hey, no problem KP," Ron says with a smile. "I figure if you fell asleep, then no one could explain to me about…" He ponders about the recent physics lesson but its subject matter eludes him. "…whatever was taught today." He starts to brush a few strands of hair away from her face as she turns to face him. "Besides, I just love your hair and everything attached to it."

Kim just smiles as Ron finishes brushing away the last strands of red hair away from her face. She looks deeply into his eyes as she slowly reaches up and gently runs her hand in his blonde hair. "So do I."

"Isn't there like a rule against public displays of affection between losers?" a familiar and loathsome voice asks behind Kim. Kim and Ron's moment ends as Ron looks in the direction from where the voice originates. Kim's pleasant demeanor abruptly changes to annoyance as she turns around to come face to face with Bonnie Rockwaller, who wears a blue dress and matching black shoes and belt. Bonnie stands a few feet away from Kim with a smirk on her face while she crosses her arms. Both girls ready themselves for a confrontation. "I mean come on, be a little considerate to the rest of the populace next time you two decide to express your totally weird, and I must say pathetic…"

"Enough Bonnie!" Kim growls. "I don't see why you have to stick your nose into our relationship and make your little comments." She mellows slightly and a small grin forms on her face. "You should be carefully Bonnie. People may get the impression that you're jealous."

"What!" Bonnie shouts. "Me, jealous of you?" She points her index finger directly at Ron. "with him? Please!"

Kim crosses her arms and stares directly at the brunette. "Truth, like you Bonnie, is a…"

"Okay," Ron jumps in. "Let's not say or do anything that we might later regret." He walks into no man's land situated between Kim and Bonnie. "Am I right ladies?"

"Oh, I won't regret," Kim remarks as she steps around Ron and shoots a look of death toward Bonnie.

"Whatever, Kim," says Bonnie as she continues down the hall.

Kim never takes her eyes, already throwing daggers, away from Bonnie as she passes by her. She turns to her locker and slams its door shut as a controlled growl of anger escapes her lips. The locker does not close but pops back open and slams into the adjacent locker's door. The force of her rebounding locker door produces a small dent in it as many students in the hall abruptly stop their activities and stare at the redheaded girl. She looks around at all the eyes staring back at her and turns slightly red in the face. She smiles awkwardly at them as her mood quickly softens.

"Sorry, everybody," Kim apologies as she hurries down to the cafeteria.

Ron quickly runs after her. "Hey, wait up, KP."

He catches up to her before she enters the cafeteria and gently places his hand on her shoulder. She stops in her tracks, turns around, and stares directly into concern filled brown eyes.

"You okay?" asks Ron as he searches her eyes for an answer.

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just today I let Bonnie get the upper hand and I lost my temper."

A shock expression forms on Ron's face. "Did Kim Possible just admit that Bonnie got the best of her? The world must be coming to an end." A sly smile escapes his lips.

"Okay, I admit it," says Kim, "to you and only to you." She casts a smile to Ron. "Thanks for making me feel better."

"What did I do?"

"Being here with me." She hugs him and relaxes in his arms. "Oh, and if you tell anyone I said Bonnie got the best of me…"

"My lips are so sealed."

"Did I mention I love you?"

"Not today."

"Love you."

"Love you too KP."

They remain in their embrace as the bell begins to ring. Ron brings his lips close to her ear and whispers, "I don't know about you but I'm starving. Let's go and have… I wouldn't exactly call it food."

"Come on," Kim says as she takes his hand and they walk into the cafeteria together. Just at that moment Kim's kimmunicator beeps. With her free hand, she reaches into her pocket, pulls it out, and answers it. "What's the sitch, Wade?"

On the screen appears Wade, a young genius who builds her gadgets and tools, manages her website, and helps her in her task at saving the world. He wears a blue t-shirt while several computer monitors stand in the background.

"Trouble at a lab, guys," informs Wade.

"Why am I not surprise?" asks Ron to no one in particular as he leans in to see Wade.

"So, what was stolen, Wade?" asked Kim.

"Probably some super secret project or some horrible instrument of doom," Ron states in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Actually, according to them, nothing," Wade nonchalantly says.

"Nothing," replies Kim. "So the sitch is…"

"In their words, they kind of misplaced something," said Wade as he leans back in his chair.

"So what was misplaced?" asks Kim.

At that moment, Rufus wakes up from his nap in Ron's pocket and pokes his head out as a big yawn escapes his mouth.

Wade's mood becomes serious as he leans closer to the screen. "Gill."

Upon the sound of that name, Ron facial complexion shifts from normal to a pale white as Rufus jumps back into the safety of Ron's pocket. He grabs the kimmunicator from Kim and looks directly at Wade.

"How could they 'misplaced' Gill?" Ron screams. "I mean it's not like he can disappear in a crowd. Unless, he can! Oh man! He's a shapeshifter!"

Ron dives underneath a lunch table while tossing the kimmunicator in the air. Kim catches it while a frighten Ron eyes everyone in the cafeteria with suspicion. Everyone, who had stopped their eating and conversations when Ron screamed his question and paranoid conclusion, just stares at the young man hiding under a table.

"What a freak!" yells the all too familiar voice of Bonnie from a far off table. One by one, everyone slowly resumes their earlier interrupted activities.

Sighing, Kim turns back to Wade on the kimmunicator. "I'm going to have to call you back Wade. I have a little Ron sitch I have to resolve."

"I kind of figured. I'll set you up with a ride to take you to the lab after school. You can get the 411 when you get there."

"Please and thank you."

Wade signs off and the screen goes blank. Kim places her Kimmunicator back into her pocket and approaches the table where Ron hides. She rolls her eyes before getting down on her knees, crawls a little under the table, and joins him. She sees Ron on edge while Rufus, who has left his abode, stands next to Ron, stares at him and just shakes his head.

"Ron, why don't you just come out from under the table and join the rest of the normals?" asks Kim as she moves a little closer to him.

"He's out there somewhere Kim. And by there I mean in here."

"Ron, Gill does not have the ability to morph into any one he wants to. He is not a shapeshifter."

"How would you…" He stops his completion of his sentence and looks at Kim suspiciously.

Kim instantly reads his mind. "I am not Gill!"

"That's what he would say. Now that I think about it, you never did need my help to stay awake in any class before. That is until today. And then Wade calls us about the missing mutant who has it in for me. A mutant who knows so much of my life to know that the best way to get me is to get as close as possible to me without me knowing that he is so close… and how better to get close to me than by impersonating Kim Possible, my best friend and girlfriend. "

Kim looks him directly in the eye. "Ron, you are so passed paranoid right now that if paranoid were the Earth, you would be at the other end of the galaxy!"

"That's so Kim-like. Oh, you've done your homework and you've done it well."

Kim lowers her head and releases a big sigh.

"Ron," she says as she raises her head to look him in the eyes. "Think about it. When would Gill have replaced me? Last week? Yesterday? When would have been the perfect time to start his great plan of ferocious payback on Ron Stoppable by impersonating me?"

"You do realize mind games won't work on me," Ron states.

"Yes sense you need your mind to be present and not lost," Kim retorts.

"Uh-huh," Rufus finally chirps in.

Ron just raises an eyebrow as he glances down at Rufus. He then returns his attention to Kim. "All right, fine. I'm game. Let's say last week."

Kim just rolls her eyes. "Those were rhetorical questions, Ron."

"Rhetorical, a school word," he says as he ponders about it for a few seconds.

Kim and Rufus just look at each other. Kim takes in a deep breath and realizes she has no choice but to resort to the vilest to convince a paranoid Ron that she is who she says she is.

"Cover your ears, Rufus," Kim commands, "because what I'm going to say is not going to be pretty." Rufus obeys and places his paws to his ears. She turns her attention back to Ron. "Last week, huh?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember what we did last week?"

"Ah yeah… we saved that senator from Massachusetts, school, stopped a run away train in Japan, hung out and…" Ron comes to a screeching halt as he remembers the rest of their activities and realizes the implications.

"And?"

"And we…" A sudden look of horror develops on Ron's face as he forces the bile beginning to erupt back down.

"Made out a few times," Kim finishes, "which means that if I were Gill, as you insanely suggest, then you…"

"Don't finish," begs a disgusted Ron. "Please don't or else I'll puke my lunch."

"You haven't had lunch yet."

"Lunch from last week," clarifies Ron as he grabs his stomach as disgusting thoughts dance in his head.

"So, who am I?" asks Kim with a small, sly smile.

"You're Kim!" Ron exclaims. "For the love of nacos, you're Kim!"

"Now that we established that," Kim says, "let's get out from under this table."

She offers him her hand and he gladly takes it. Rufus sees this, removes his paws from his ears and climbs back into Ron's pant pocket. Kim, leading Ron by the hand, emerges from underneath the table and instantly realizes she has just entered the shadow of a large man. Ron soon follows and sees the shadow as well. They slowly raise their heads up simultaneously and see the shadow's owner.

"Possible, Stoppable, mind telling me why you two are underneath a table?" asks a stern Mr. Barkin, who wears his usual brown suit, white dress shirt, a pair of black shoes, and a black tie. He crosses his arms as he waits for an answer.

"Earthquake drill," Kim quickly answers.

"Earthquake drill?" questions a skeptical Mr. Barkin.

"Ah, yeah," continues a nervous Kim. "You never know so it's good to be prepared. Right, Ron?" She glances at Ron.

"Right, KP. Never hurts to be prepared," says Ron, who flashes a nervous smile.

Mr. Barkin narrows his eyes at the two teenagers. "I'm keeping my eyes on…" He notices that Ron's smile has disappeared, and now aims a weird look directly at him. "Stoppable, why are you looking at me like that?"

Kim whips her head back at Ron and her eyes widen in dread.

"Well, Mr. Barkin," Ron says as he looks at him suspiciously, "if that's…"

Before Ron can finish, Kim quickly claps her hand on Ron's mouth. She wraps her other arm around Ron's shoulders and throws a large smile at Mr. Barkin. "We better get some lunch. That drill sure made me hungry." She throws Ron an annoyed, slightly angry look and speaks through gritted teeth. "How about you, Ron?"

Ron's only answers in muffled words as Kim keeps her hand on his mouth while pulling him toward the lunch line. Mr. Barkin just watches them as they travel to the end of a small line of students. He raises his eyebrows as he attempts to understand these two but quickly gives up and walks back to his table to finish his lunch.


	4. Chapter 3

The white Bell 206 Jet Ranger Helicopter with red and blue stripes racing on its sides soars through the air as it flies over an enormous old growth forest. Inside, the buckled passengers in the backseat engage in a conversation.

"All right, KP," Ron states, "I've narrowed down the most likely people Gill could impersonate without me suspecting a thing until it's too late."

He wears his mission outfit consisting of a black short sleeved shirt, black gloves, black shoes, grey cargo pants, a brown knapsack and a brown utility belt. Kim, who also wears her mission outfit consisting of a black long sleeve shirt that shows her midriff, black gloves, black shoes, green cargo pants, a brown knapsack and a brown utility belt, sighs and gives Ron an exasperated look.

"Ron, did we not already establish that Gill cannot morph into anyone he wants?" asks Kim.

"We established that he didn't morph into you. Which by the way, I'll be scared for life thank you very much. The images are still playing in my head."

"Ewww," Kim says with disgust.

"You couldn't… I don't know… knock me out or something. I'm sure I would have calm down and been more reasonable when I woke up."

"If I hit you in the caf, Barkin would have given me detention and I wouldn't be able to visit this lab after school."

"Oh what would be better, detention or a disturbed boyfriend?"

"Well, I could always find another boyfriend," Kim says with a sly smile as she looks at Ron.

Ron just glares at her. "Just for that little remark, you're going to hear my list of people I think Gill would impersonate."

Kim sighs. "Is it too late to apologize?"

"Very."

"Fine, lets have it," Kim says as she rolls her eyes.

"Rufus," Ron says, "visual aids, please." Immediately, Rufus pops out of Ron's knapsack holding a set of 8 x 10 photos. He jumps into the space between Kim and Ron and prepares to hand them to Kim one at a time.

"First, there's Ned," Ron states as Rufus hands Kim Ned's photo, "manger at the local Buenos Nachos."

"I know who he is, Ron."

"But do you know why…"

"Given that you and I hang out at Buenos Nachos like all the time, impersonating Ned would allow Gill easy access to your main place of snackage. He could easily spike your food with whatever he wants or attack you while you enjoy a pleasant meal because you would never expect Ned to do you in."

"Apparently, you do. Next." Rufus hands Kim a photo of Brick Flagg.

"Brick Flagg?" questions Kim.

"It's unexpected."

"Ah-huh and how many photos do you have?" Kim asks as she snatches the set of photos from Rufus. She rifles through some and then comes across a photo that catches her attention.

"Bonnie?"

"Who would know the difference? They both generally have the same opinion about me."

"That's true," Kim nods in agreement. She continues looking at each of the photos until she comes across another photo that catches her attention. "Why is my photo in here?" Kim asks with a little shock and irritation in her voice.

"Oh… ah… it's not what you think. I carry a photo of you because… I love you," Ron confesses as he smiles at her.

"Ron, that's so sweet," Kim says as her mood lightens. She leans over and gives him a quick kiss on the lips, "But nice try."

"At least I got a kiss from it," Ron says as he still sports his smile.

"Miss Possible, we are approaching the lab," the pilot informs them.

The two each look out their respective windows and they see a grey, large metal structure sitting on a large hill surrounded by a legion of trees. The helicopter flies towards the structure and hovers directly over the buildings helipad for a few seconds before it slowly descends until its wheels make contact with the painted concrete.

"Thanks for the lift, Mr. Hatter," Kim says as she unbuckles her seatbelt. Ron does the same as Rufus jumps into Ron's pant pocket.

"It's the least I can do after you saved me from those rampaging horde of mutant rabbits."

"No, big," Kim states nonchalantly. "They so had no chance since I had an important date I just could not be late for."

"The fur sure hit the fan on that day," Ron chimes in.

Kim and Ron exit the helicopter and walk a safe distance away before the helicopter lifts off and soars up into the heavens as the sounds of its engine quickly fad into the distance. The two teenagers walk toward the exit door to enter the lab when it opens and out steps a slender African American man in his forties wearing brown slacks, white sneakers, a light blue polo shirt, and a white lab coat with a photo I.D hang out of its chest pocket.

"Hello, you must be Kim Possible," greets the man. "I'm Dr. Shea."

"Pleasure," replies Kim. She points to Ron. "And this is my partner, Ron Stoppable."

"Oh, so you're the squeeb," exclaims Dr. Shea.

"Ah, I see Gill remembers me," Ron says.

"Oh, every time I'm in the lab he either complains about the food, his condition, or how you have it all. When he isn't doing that, he describes in horrific detail many scenarios of just how he's going to get you. And let me tell you… ouch! The young man has issues."

"Well he is a mutant," Ron states as a nervous chuckle escapes his lips.

"Yeah, he is," agrees Dr. Shea. "Well, come on. Let me show you the lab and then can you do your thing. How does that sound."

"Spanking," Kim says nonchalantly.

They follow Dr. Shea, who leads them down a narrow metal staircase. They pass several doors marked with numbers that start from twenty and down until Dr. Shea stops at a door marked with the number thirteen. He opens the door and they travel down a clean, white corridor as they pass metal doors that open with key cards and a few large glass windows lining either wall. Looking through the windows, Ron and Kim catch glimpses of other scientists and personnel performing different experiments while they observe and record the results.

"How did Gill respond to his treatments?" Kim asks as they continue to walk down the corridor.

"Not as well as he did the first time," replies Dr. Shea. "That's why Dr. Lurkin transferred him to my lab in hopes that we could have better luck in bringing him back to normal again."

"Why didn't this second go around take?" asks Kim.

"I'm not sure but my guess is when he reverted back to his mutant form it somehow made him resistant to the treatments that were so successful in transforming back from a hate filled revengeful mutant to a normal angst filled teenager."

"It also made him bigger, stronger, some what smeller, and gave him funky new powers like camouflage… and shapeshifting," Ron concludes.

"Ron, just drop it. Gill does not have the ability to shapeshift. Right, Dr. Shea?"

"Well, other than the smell, he hasn't displayed any new abilities since he has been here, but anything is possible," Dr. Shea states as he stops in front of a metal door situated at the very end of the corridor. Kim and Ron stop just behind him.

"I just realize, for someone whose family motto begins with anything is possible, you sure aren't very open minded about certain things," Ron informs Kim.

Kim just glares at him, "Only certain things that are furiously unlikely!"

Dr. Shea reaches into his lab coat pocket, pulls out his key card, and swipes the card in the door's card slot. A small click alerts the three that the door has unlocked and Dr. Shea immediately pulls it open. They soon break the door's threshold and enter the lab.

A spacious room fitted with clean metal counters, advance computers that can analyze gene sequences in seconds, metal shelves lined neatly with chemistry glassware, a few microscopes strategically placed throughout the lab, and a huge metal refrigerator greets their eyes. Dr. Shea leads them to an empty corner where markings on the wall suggest that something large occupied it not so long ago.

"This is where we kept his tank," Dr. Shea informs them as he steps aside to allow Kim and Ron to see.

"So what happened?" asks Kim.

"Well, an order of transport was issued and the lab followed it. It wasn't until later that I discovered that it was a fake order. We sent the delivery truck back to the transport site, but the package was already gone."

"How come it took so long for you to realize that the order was a fake?" questioned Kim.

"That day I attended a conference in Chicago. I left the lab in charge with one of my assistants, who had transferred to my lab a few weeks ago. The order appeared authentic, so he allowed the transport. When I arrived back at my lab, I noticed Gill's absence right away."

"Not a total surprise," Ron chimes in. "You really can't miss him. You know, unless he used his ability to…"

"Ron!" Kim says.

"What? Anything is possible."

Kim just groans and turns her attention back to Dr. Shea, "Please continue, Dr. Shea."

"Well I was going to say that when I first entered the lab I wasn't greeted with the usual complains and threats against Ron's life. Anyway, I asked Steve, my assistant, where Gill was. He told me that Gill was transferred to another lab and he showed me the order form. I saw the signature and knew instantly that it was a fake."

"Whose signature was it?" asks Kim.

"Mine," Dr. Shea quietly exclaims. "Immediately, I went down to the delivery boys downstairs and demanded they go back to the shipping address and retrieve Gill. They returned to the address, but the container was gone." He pauses for a moment. "I don't have to tell you how humiliating this whole incident is. That is why I called you. As far as the outside world is concerned, nothing is stolen. Our clients and benefactors are security conscious. They can forgive slight incompetence more readily than blatant security beeches."

"Aren't those kind of the same thing?" asks Ron.

"Ron!" Kim chides.

"What? Oh sorry." He gives Dr. Shea an apologetic smile, which Dr. Shea responds to with a raised eyebrow and a slightly annoyed demeanor.

Unsettling thoughts begin to form in Kim's mind but she quickly brushes them aside. She'll entertain them later. Right now, she has to investigate this mission a little further and she knows where to look next.

"Do you still have the order form with you?" Kim asks Dr. Shea.

"No, I left it down in delivery and arrival. It's located on level one. I'll take you down there."

"Please and thank you."

Dr. Shea leads them out of the lab and back down the corridor to the metal stair case they used earlier. They descend until they come to the very bottom door marked with a one. Dr. Shea opens the door and they enter a small loading bay. Several enhanced and special equipped delivery trucks remained parked in designated parking places. A few straggling trucks come periodically to fill the few remaining empty parking places as Dr. Shea leads Kim and Ron to a tiny office tucked in the corner. Its thick, wooden door remains ajar and they observe a stout man in his mid-fifties wearing a short sleeve white dress shirt with small red strips, blue slacks, a red tie, and brown shoes sitting behind a fairly organized oak desk. He stares at his computer monitor while he ponders deeply about the information presented before him. The sound of knocking brings him out of his thoughts. He looks up to see Dr. Shea accompanied by two unfamiliar teenagers.

"Hey, Dr. Shea," the man says without smiling. "What can I do for you, besides get your mutant back for you?"

"You can help these two get my mutant back to me," Dr. Shea answers back. He turns toward Kim and Ron. "Kim and Ron, this is Brad Hunter. He can help you with the order form. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to some of my other experiments. If you need any more information from me, just have your friend on the site call me. Okay?"

"Sure," Kim replies.

With that Dr. Shea smiles and walks back toward the metal staircase. Kim and Ron watch him leave for a few seconds before Kim turns her attention to Brad Hunter.

"Hi, Mr. Hunter," Kim says as she approaches his desk. "We need to see the order form that Dr. Shea left with you."

"Hold on," Mr. Hunter gruffly says.

He picks up a stack of papers next to his keyboard and rifles through them until he finds the desired piece of paper. He gingerly gets out of his seat and slowly walks to a nearby copier machine that has seen better days. He places the paper on the scanner, closes the lid and presses the start button. Nothing happens. He then applies the magic touch consisting of a swift kick to the machine. Instantly, the copier activates and produces a copy of the order form. He lifts the lid, removes the original, retrieves the copy, and carries both back to his desk.

"Here you go," Mr. Hunter says as he hands the copy to Kim and returns to his chair. An exhausted sigh escapes his lips as he leans back in his chair, which moans and creaks in response to his weight.

Kim scrutinizes the piece of paper for a few seconds.

"The men who made this delivery to the given address," Kim says as she lifts her head up to look at Mr. Hunter, "they wouldn't still be here would they?"

Mr. Hunter leans forward and moves his hand toward his mouse. With a few clicks, he checks the sign in log.

"Sorry," replies Mr. Hunter, "Kevin and Rich have not come back yet."

Suddenly a lone delivery truck pulls into the loading bay drawing their attention. The three look out of Mr. Hunter's office window, which overlooks the entire loading bay, to see a young, white twenty something man and a middle age black man exit the parked truck.

"Correction," states Mr. Hunter, "they're here."

"Thanks again for the copy and your help," Kim says as she hurries out of his office to interrogate the two men outside. Ron quickly follows her.

"Excuse me," Kim yells as she quickly jogs up toward the men, "I need to ask you about a delivery you two made a few days ago."

The two men halt their small conversation with each other. They turn to see a young redheaded teenager, who is followed by a young blonde teenager, jogging toward them. She slows her pace and comes to a complete stop in front of them as the young man quietly walks up to them.

"Do you mean the one from Dr. Shea's lab?" asked the younger of the two.

"Yeah, can you tell me about the address?" asks Kim.

"It's an abandoned airfield," answers the older man.

"An abandoned airfield?" a perplexed Kim exclaims.

"Didn't warning signals flashed?" asks Ron.

"Mine did," smirks the young man as he turns toward his partner.

The older man sighs and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

Just then Rufus emerges from Ron's pocket. He yawns and stretches before he travels up to Ron's shoulder. The older man's eyes widen as he stares at Rufus. His heart begins to race and the fears wells up within him until it explodes.

"Ahhhhh!" screams the older man as he points at Rufus.

"Gill's here!" Ron yells. He becomes a tighten ball of alert and readiness as he hops in place changing the direction he faces with each hop. Rufus, unable to keep his balance on Ron's shoulder, jumps onto the ground all the while the older man continues to scream and point at Rufus.

"What's his problem?" Kim yells over the older man's screams to the younger man.

"I have no idea," replies the young man. "I don't know him that well and I think I like to keep it that way." He looks over at Ron. "What's his problem?"

"Do you have an hour?" replies Kim.

"Just give me the short version," states the young man.

Kim just stares at him for a few seconds. "Again, do you have an hour?"


	5. Chapter 4

_This whole missing Gill thing has me worried. Someone wanted Gill out, but why? Why would you arrange the transport of an unstable mutant bent on seeking revenge on a person who took all his craft time at camp while he swam all day in a toxic lake causing him to become what he is? This so makes no sense. Then again, since when do things in my life usually make sense?_

She looks over at the young blonde sitting beside her. He stares out of the sedan's backseat window watching the scenery pass by. She just smiles as she stares at the answer to her question.

Just then the kimmunicator beeps, which draws Kim away from her moment. She reaches into her cargo pant pocket and pulls it out.

"Hey, Wade," answers Kim. "What do you have for me?"

Ron pulls himself away from the window and turns his attention to the kimmunicator as he leans in to get a better look at Wade.

"Nothing much," replies Wade. "I did perform a number of scans on this abandon airfield."

"And?"

"I found that the abandon part holds true."

"Maybe we'll find something doing a little detective work when we get there."

"Guys," Wade says in a serious mood, "I've been thinking about this whole mission and I'm thinking that Gill is the least of our worries. Someone arranged for Gill's release and in the subtle way no less. I do not like this at all."

"My thoughts exactly, Wade," Kim says. "There's definitely more layers to this cake."

"Mmmm, cake," Rufus eagerly squeaks as he pokes his head out of Ron's pocket.

"Sorry, buddy," Ron says as he brings Rufus out of his pocket and up to his face. "Kim was taking about metaphor cake, not actually cake,"

"Aw man," grumbles a disappointed Rufus.

"After we're done investigating this air hanger, we'll hit Buenos Nachos," Kim says as she offers Rufus a consoling smile, "my treat."

"Booyah!" exclaims a now excited Rufus.

Kim continues to smile but it slowly fades as she notices Ron lack of enthusiasm to her appealing offer.

"What's wrong, Ron?" asks Kim. "I mention Buenos Nachos and more importantly say I'm paying and I don't get a 'Booyah' or even a smile."

"I'm worried about the whole more layer thing about this mission," Ron says wearing a pensive look. "Maybe the whole point of breaking Gill out is to divert our focus away from the real point."

"If that's true, then what's the real point?"

"The million dollar question," Ron states as he looks at Kim.

"I guess we'll find out sooner or later," Kim says as her tone hardens. "Whatever it is, I totally know we won't like it."

"I'm going to explore the rumors floating around the net," Wade jumps in. "I might find something that might shed some light on this."

"Thanks, Wade," replies Kim.

Wade signs off causing the kimmunicator's screen to go black. Kim places it back into her pocket. She turns toward Ron and sees his head resting against the backseat's headrest. She just watches him breathe in and out as his eyes close due to a weariness that long travels have on some people and contents herself in watching him quickly fall asleep. She then closes her eyes and surrenders to the same weariness as the sedan carries them along a desolate dirt road toward an abandon airfield.

"So when are we going to get your plan off the ground?" asks the impatient Gill behind his glass container now filled with water from the toxic grotto of Lake Wannaweep. "If I stay in here any longer, I'll go nuts."

"When the hero comes to where I want," replies the Gill's annoyed liberator over his shoulder as he continues to work at his computer with his back toward Gill. "And if you didn't realize already… you are nuts."

Two days passed since the mysterious man arranged for Gill's transport out of Dr. Shea's lab. During that time he also transported some of the toxic water that had yet to be cleaned up from the little grotto near Lake Wannaweep in hopes of strengthening a weaken Gill. He added a few extra toxic ingredients to the green glowing water in order to aid in this goal. He figured that Gill couldn't get any worst than he already was. The first day after the water upgrade, a noticeable increase in Gill's size occurred. The man hoped this also resulted in an increase in Gill's strength, speed, and other abilities, but there was no way to determine this until the confrontation between Kim and Ron.

_We'll have to just wait until then._

In the meantime, he immediately noticed an increase in Gill's complaining and descriptions of how Ron was going to get "his". Apparently, the new water also increased Gill's capacity to talk, which also meant his capacity to complain shot up in frequency and volume.

_Well, can't have everything go your way._

"What do you mean I'm nuts?" questions Gill. "I'm not the one who wants to make a masterpiece out of someone's life."

"You make it sound like she would be flatter." The man swivels his chair and faces Gill. "Believe me, if she 'survives' what I have in store for her then she would be anything but flattered." The man stands up and takes a few steps toward Gill's glass container while maintaining eye contact with the mutant. "At least I don't have it in for her because she took up all my craft time in order to avoid swimming in a toxic lake while I practically lived in that same toxic lake all day, every day of camp. And then I become an oversized frog with gills and suddenly it's all her fault even though she never forced me into that lake in the first place. And I mean come on, if the fact that the water was green and giving off a funky odor wasn't enough of a clue that maybe I shouldn't be Ian Thropeing around in there, then most certainly the glowing three eyed fish should have at least given me some cause for concern."

"They didn't have three eyes," corrects Gill. "And I'm over that. I just want revenge on the squeeb because he foiled my plan for world domination and …" An outburst of anger erupts from Gill. "He just has it too good."

The man holds his hands up. "I stand corrected."

"Look, you offered me a quick opportunity to get back at the squeeb, who, by the way, deserves what's coming to him," informs Gill. "I just want to point out that, unless I missed it, the 'quick' opportunity has not yet come."

"It's been two days," exclaims the man.

"Yeah, and I could have gotten to the squeeb by now."

"And you would have been easily defeated in your weaken state and sent back to that lab. Where as by agreeing to be an integral part of my plan, you have become bigger, stronger, and… well I can't think of anything else but you got two positives going for you right there."

"The only positive I care about is have my revenge on Ron Stoppable," Gill states through gritted teeth. "As of yet, your 'brilliant' plan has not given me that positive, has it?"

"I'm sorry," the man says as begins to ponder. "I know! I'll call the two heroes and asks them if they could meet us at the warehouse because Gill can't wait to get his… flippers... around Mr. Stoppable's neck while I will then proceed to describe in vivid detail what I hope to do to Miss Possible. Then I'll end the call with a 'Hope to see you there.' Would you like me to do that?" the man sarcastically says as he throws Gill a smile.

Taken aback, Gill just stares at the man. "That wouldn't work, would it?"

The smile fades from the man's face. "Well, we definitely won't be adding 'more intelligent' to that positive list."

Before an angry, insulted Gill can respond, a beeping sound emanates from the man's computer drawing the attention of the two. The man quickly takes his seat in front of the computer and rapidly types on his keyboard. A few seconds pass and he stares at a digital map of some location. A red dot moves along on what appears to be a representation of a long road. The red dot turns toward a flashing green dot and stops a few centimeters away from it. A small grin begins to form on the man's face. He swivels in his chair once more and again faces Gill still sporting that same grin.

"What?" asks an interested and slightly calmer Gill.

"That opportunity you so clearly want," the man says, "maybe fast approaching."

"Well, this is inviting," responds Kim as climbs out of the black sedan and gets her first look at the dilapidated, abandoned air hanger surrounded by bleak desert terrain, a run down, potholed filled air strip and a clear night dotted with numerous stars.

"I don't know KP," Ron says as he climbs out of the sedan and stands beside her. "After a touch of arson, the possibilities are endless."

A small smile escapes Kim's lips for a second until the sound of the passenger side door of the sedan slams shut. Turning around she sees a tall brown haired man in a black suit wearing sunglass and an eyepiece approach her.

"Thanks for the lift Agent Johnson," Kim says to the man.

"It's the least the agency could do after you help us with that secret project," replies the man.

Kim just smiles. She knows what to say next. "What secret project?"

A barely visible smirk escapes the man's otherwise deadpan face. "Exactly."

"A dude, why are you still wearing your sunglasses?" asks Ron. "There's no sun."

The man looks down at Ron through his sunglasses. "Part of the uniform."

Ron shrugs and looks back at Kim.

"We won't be long, Agent Johnson," Kim informs him.

"We will be here waiting to provide any assistance you may need," replies Agent Johnson.

"Please and thank you," says Kim who then turns toward Ron. "Come on Ron. Let's go Sherlock on this hanger."

She removes her backpack, unzips it, and pulls out a flashlight. Ron does the same as Rufus climbs onto his shoulder. The two then turn on their flashlights and proceed to the metal doors of the hanger. Kim glances down as she walks and notices two sets of identical tire tracks belonging to the delivery truck's two visits to the hanger. Following them with some attention, she becomes slightly startled as she almost walks into the doors.

"Whoops," Kim cries under her breath.

Ron witnesses the incident. "Careful, KP," Ron mockingly warns, "I've heard of incidents where doors sneak up on people that end extremely badly."

Kim just narrows her eyes and responds, "Funny."

"I try," Ron says as he smiles, "although that wasn't a great try."

"Just help me with these doors."

The two pull on one door, which opens rather easily despite the rust and apparent neglect. An abyss of darkness stares back at them beyond the threshold before they dispel it by shooting their flashlights' beams into it. They slowly enter the empty hanger as they sweep their light beams slowly around them catching their first glimpse of the hanger's inside, which is as bad as its outside.

"Oh yeah," remarks Ron, "a spot of arson can definitely do wonders to this place." He looks down at the concrete floor. "Is this floor concrete or just a result of dust just piling up over the thousand years this place hasn't been in use?"

"Good," responds Kim.

"What?" Ron asks. "The dust? How is that good?"

Kim points her flashlight at the ground behind them. "See," Kim says as their footprints and the tire tracks leading into the hanger become bathed in the light. "It'll help us see footprints and tracks more easily."

"Oh," Ron says before the sensations of a sneeze start to become apparent. He prepares to let one loose as Rufus, still on Ron's shoulder, prepares himself for the violent reaction by applying a death grip on Ron's shirt.

"Ahhhhcooooo!"

Its echo ripples in the air of the hanger. Rufus, who almost loses his grip, stands back up on Ron's shoulder. "Bless you," he says to Ron.

"Bless you," Kim responds as well.

"Thanks," says Ron.

With Kim in the lead, they slowly continue to move deeper into the hanger. She follows the tire tracks left behind when Gill's container was delivered until they stop suddenly. A few feet away, Kim spots a large square mark on the floor indicating a large box of some kind had preoccupied the area some time ago.

"I'm going to guess this is where they placed Gill's transport container," Kim exclaims.

"How do you know that?" asks Ron, who has not noticed the spot yet. Kim points to the spot illuminated by her flashlight. Ron looks down and sees the clue. "Oh."

Kim moves slowly around the perimeter and notices two sets of footprints. She assumes they belong to Kevin and Rich. Suddenly, she notices another set of footprints. With her flashlight's beam, she follows the footprints back to their point of origin and sees that they start at a far corner away from the door they entered.

_These can't belong to Kevin and Rich. They used the same door we did. Someone else was here._

Kim quickly takes out the kimmunicator and presses a button. Wade appears on the screen. "Wade, I need you to give me a 3D virtual model of the hanger," Kim tells him.

"Sure," replies Wade.

Wade types rapidly at his keyboard and within a few seconds a blue light emanates from the kimmunicator. As the light expands to a finite distance, a 3D virtual model of the hanger develops in front of Kim as the darkness in the hanger enhances the model's brightness. Kim, with her eyes, finds the hanger's door and moves her focus to the hanger's far corner as Ron, still carrying Rufus on his shoulder, walks up to the model.

"Wade, the delivery guys said they dropped off Gill in the hanger around late afternoon," informs Kim. "Can you make this model show where the shadows would have been around that time?"

"Shadows?" asks Ron.

"I'll explain shortly, Ron," Kim promises as she turns her attention back to Wade. "Can you do it?"

"Does the addition of relativity to quantum mechanics give us particle spin?" asks Wade.

A perplexed Kim and Ron just look at each other.

"The answer is yes," informs Wade. He types a few commands. "Done."

Kim and Ron turn their attention back to the 3D virtual model as shades of a darker but still transparent blue begins to develop in certain areas. Soon, a third of the model becomes a darker blue while the rest remain the same shade as before. Kim looks at the far corner. A small expression of realization and triumph forms on her face while Ron just stares at the model with a lost look plastered on his face.

"Okay, why did you want Wade to place shadows in the model?" asks Ron.

"Look," Kim tells him as she motions her head down toward the footprints on the ground. Ron looks down at them and follows them with his flashlight back to the far corner of the hanger. He then looks back at the model and finds the far corner engulfed in shadow.

"Oh, okay," Ron says as realization hits him. "I see. Someone was standing in the shadows."

"Yeah, a spectator to the delivery," says Kim. "What do you want to bet Gill's silent and shy liberator was standing right there while Kevin and Rich made the delivery?"

"So he or she walks up to Gill's container and… what? Tosses it on his or her back and strolls out of here."

"Highly doubt that," replies Kim. She turns off the virtual model and begins to investigate around the small area the container had preoccupied. Ron just stands in his spot and begins to ponder.

"If he or she simply lifted the container and carried it off," Ron thinks out loud, "then that implies super strength." He stops in thought before proceeding again. "Who do we know has super strength?"

"Hmmmm," ponders Rufus, who still stands on Ron's shoulder.

Suddenly, realization knocks and knocks hard. "KP, it's Hego!"

"Excuse me," Kim says as she stops her investigation. "Ah, Hego is a hero."

"Yeah, so was Shego. Who's to say that Hego wouldn't turn evil like she did? They are related. Of course I always thought that if anyone from Team Go would turn evil, it would be Mego. That guy seemed too full of himself to me."

"Yeah… before we consider your scenario," Kim says, "I have one of my own." She points her flashlight toward a spot a few feet away from her. Ron looks down and discovers another set of tire tracks heading off to the opposite end of the hanger. They both point their flashlights toward the hanger's opposite end and see another set of huge doors similar to the one they used to enter the hanger. "The spectator, who we'll assume does not have super powers, had a truck hidden so that no one could see it from the road. He or she then waited for the delivery to be completed, drove his or her truck in here through the other doors, loaded Gill's container in it using some kind of built-in lift, and drove the container away in the night."

"I'll have to go with Kim's scenario," Wade replies via the kimmunicator.

"Ah-huh, Kim," agrees Rufus.

"And what's wrong with my scenario?" asks a slightly annoyed Ron.

"Besides the fact that it's beyond believable," replies Kim.

Ron ponders for a moment. "Yeah, you're probably right.

"Wade, can you scan these tire tracks?" asks Kim. "Just yes or no will be fine."

"Yes I can, Kim," says a smiling Wade. "You know the drill."

"Point and shoot," Kim says as she aims her kimmunicator at the tire tracks. A red beam emanating from it engulfs the tracks and a digital image of the tracks appears on the kimmunicator's screen as well as on Wade's monitor.

"That's weird," Wade exclaims. "There's some sort of substance in the tracks."

"The plot thickens," states Kim raising an eyebrow.

Wade leans forward in his chair and types for a few seconds on his keyboard. "I think I can track it."

"Really?" asks Ron.

"Hold on," says Wade as he continues to type on his keyboard. "Whatever it is, it's easy to track if I upload the same scanner program of the kimmunicator into the GPS satellites." He rapidly types on his keyboard for several seconds. "All right program is uploaded and the satellites are scanning now. This might take a few minutes."

"Why do I get the feeling that we won't like what's waiting for us at the end of those tracks?" asks Ron.

"Because we won't," answers Kim.

"Definitely," Rufus adds.

The three wait for the completion of the scans in silent anticipation.

"Scans are done and looks like the trail leads to a warehouse in the small city of Lense, just an hour's drive from where you are," says Wade.

"A warehouse," Kim sarcastically says, "that's original."

"I can't remember the last time we were in a warehouse," says Ron.

"I'll continue to analyze this substance and get back to you," Wade says as he signs off.

Kim places the kimmunicator back into her pocket. "Come on," she says to Ron and Rufus. "If we hurry, we can get there with enough time to investigate that warehouse and make it back home in time for curfew."

Rufus climbs down into Ron's pocket as the two teens quickly exit the hanger and head back to the sedan waiting outside. Agent Johnson approaches them.

"Where to now?" he asks.

"Lense City," answers Kim, "a warehouse to be more specific."

"How original," remarks a deadpan Agent Johnson as he opens the sedan's back door for Ron and Kim.

"At least it's not an abandon factory," says Kim as she climbs into the back seat and buckles her seat belt. Agent Johnson closes the back seat and climbs into the passenger seat. He turns to his fellow agent, who wears an outfit similar to Agent Johnson, sitting in the driver's seat.

"City of Lense, Agent Jones," orders Agent Johnson.

Agent Jones nods, starts the sedan, and drives toward their new destination.

"A warehouse," Gill dryly says behind his glass, toxic water filled container as he sets his eyes upon the brightly lit place where he will soon obtain his coveted confrontation with Ron Stoppable. Huge stacks of wooden crates neatly line against both sides of the warehouse leaving an uncluttered spacious middle, which is where Gill's glass container sits. "Boy, you sure think outside the box," he sarcastically says.

"It was either this or the abandoned factory one block down," replies the man as he walks around the glass container and stops in front of Gill.

"Fine," replies Gill. He notices how excited the stranger seems. "What's up with you?"

"Oh, I just feel so giddy," the man says as he exaggerates a shiver. "It's exciting."

"Okay, I'm the mutant and you're starting to really creep me out," says an uncomfortable Gill. "You don't even know if it's them or not."

"I have great faith in Kim Possible's ability to show up to where she is supposed to. Besides, that vehicle that left the hanger made a bee line to this stink hole of a city after spending a good fifteen minutes there. I think she found the little bread crumbs I left for her to follow."

"And what if it's not her and the squeeb that found your little bread crumbs?" questions Gill. "What then?"

"We'll deal with that bridge when we get to it. Right now, let's assume it's them."

"Fine," replies Gill. "What's the plan?"

"I'm glad you asked," the man says with a pleasant tone.


	6. Chapter 5

The rain starts to lightly drum the black sedan's windshield as it navigates through the winding streets of the city of Lense. The wipers turn on and immediately start their rhythmic dance upon their glass dance floor. For a few minutes, the hypnotic noise of their dance infiltrates the driver and his passenger's minds and allows them to drift into a peaceful state of oblivion until a familiar beeping draws them back to the restless state of existence.

Kim, coming back to reality, hesitates for an instant before quickly reaching into her pocket, and pulling out her kimmunicator. "Go, Wade," she answers.

"You're only a few minutes away from the warehouse," Wade states. "I've done some checking on the warehouse and it's just that. It's used as a holding place for the empty storage crates used for shipping."

"Wait," Ron says trying to grasp what Wade has just said. "So this warehouse is filled with just empty crates."

"Well, empty wooden crates to be specific," Wade says. "You have to keep them somewhere, Ron."

"Anything else, Wade?" asks Kim.

"I've finish my analysis of that substance and I can tell you it's a synthetic dye engineered to be highly detectable to certain scanning programs and scanning instruments."

"Such as the kimmunicator's," adds Kim.

"Yeah," says Wade. "Looks like Gill's shy and mysterious liberator anticipated your involvement in this case."

"More like hoped for it," Kim says in a harden tone. "It's way beyond coincidence that those tires were lased with a dye that makes it easy to follow it using the kimmunicatior and its scanning program. Whoever this liberator is, he or she wants us to be at that warehouse."

"Stupid question coming," warns Ron. "Why?"

"Standard answer," Kim replies, "it's a trap."

"Looks like my feeling was right," states Ron. "Maybe we'll get to find out what the real point is too."

"Whatever the case, we're going to do this right," Kim says. "Wade, contact the authorities and the lab and have them at that warehouse."

"Way ahead of you, Kim," Wade states. "They'll be there in twenty minutes. I also did some scans on the warehouse and it looks like you're expected."

"How many?" questions Kim.

"One and it's the mutant of the hour," Wade answers.

Ron leans forward in his seat. "How about you guys?" Ron asks the two agents. "You want to help us bust a mutant."

"This is outside our training," replies Agent Johnson without turning to face Ron. "Besides, our orders are only to fulfill the favor the agency owes you and this favor only consists of transporting you to and from locations in order for you to accomplish your current mission. Once we drop you off at this warehouse, the agency no longer owes you anything and we will no longer offer our services to you unless ordered to."

"So, that's a no on the whole mutant takedown invite huh?" asks Ron.

"Affirmative," says Agent Johnson, who keeps his eyes forward.

"Don't know what you'll be missing," Ron says as leans back into his seat.

"I'm sure they're so disappointed," says Kim as a small smirk develops on her face.

"They hide it well," Ron says.

Kim asks Wade, "How about your rumor research?"

"Nothing yet," Wade says disappointedly. "Without something to go on, I'm pretty much looking for a specific drop of water in the ocean."

"Keep trying Wade," says Kim. "In the meantime, we'll handle Gill. He knows more about his liberator than us. I mean, he has to because we know nothing."

"Sure will, Kim," Wade says. "Good luck." He signs off and the kimmunicator's screen goes black. Kim places it in her pocket as the sedan stops a few feet in front of a warehouse.

"Miss Possible, we arrived," informs Agent Johnson. "Good luck."

"Thanks," replies Kim as she opens the door and steps into a streaming wall of water now pouring down on the city. Ron soon follows and is greeted immediately by a rush of falling water as he closes the door. They both have a difficult time seeing anything through the rain. Turning back, they catch a glimpse of the sedan's red tail lights driving off into the thick curtain of falling rain. Quickly they run towards a metal grey door with a small light hanging above it. Kim reaches it first and slowly opens the door just enough so she can peer inside. Scanning carefully, she checks for any immediate dangers. Satisfied of no present danger, although she knows what's hiding in this warehouse, she opens the door wider and enters the warehouse. Ron follows closely behind. She quietly closes the door behind them and rejoins Ron who has removed his shoes in order to pour out the water that has collected in them.

"Why is it every time I face Gill, I'm never dry?" asks Ron as he shakes the last remaining drops of water from inside his shoes. Rufus pops his head out of Ron's pocket and spits out a stream of water unto the floor.

"Focus, Ron," Kim says as she wrings out the water soaked into her red hair, which hangs limp due to its wetness.

"Oh, I'm focus, KP," Ron says as he puts on his shoes. "I'm the one Gill wants."

"Got that right, squeeb," calls a familiar menacing voice that seems to resonate around them.

Instantly, Kim and Ron freeze. Their eyes alertly scrutinize their surroundings for the any detail that can expose Gill's location as they slowly and carefully move deeper into the warehouse.

"Look at you two," Gill taunts from somewhere, "so scared that you're soaking with sweat."

"It's water," says Kim. "It's pouring outside. You can hear it."

"Besides, if we are sweating," remarks Ron, "it's pretty hard to tell since we're soaked."

"Least of your worries Ronnie-boy" Gill threatens. His voice sounds closer. "When I'm done with you they'll need a week just to sort all your parts."

Kim narrows her eyes in frustration and anger. "I've so had enough of this," Kim says as she reaches into her pocket, quickly pulls out her kimmunicator, and presses a button. Wade appears on the screen. "Wade, I need you to scan…"

"Don't bother," says Gill from behind them. Kim and Ron turn around just in time to see Gill's form slowly separate itself from the warehouse's metallic grey wall. Gill's red orbs burn with hate and anger as they focus squarely on Ron, who, along with Kim and Rufus, stares in shock as to how big Gill has become. He now is a good foot taller than the last encounter at Camp Gottagrin. "Boy, Possible, you sure know how to ruin a guy's fun."

"Only when that fun involves hurting my boyfriend," Kim retorts as she places her kimmunicator back into her pocket. She steps up and stands besides Ron.

"Oh, I'm not just going to hurt him," Gill threatens as a sinister smile slowly develops on his mutated face, "I'm going to do so much worst."

"Okay, before you start with the handing out of the serious pain and more," Ron says, "I have one question to ask you."

Kim sighs and rolls her eyes. "Here we go."

"Are you or are you not a shapeshifter?" asks Ron.

"What?" asks a perplexed Gill.

"He wants to know whether you can change your appearance to those of other people," Kim dryly says as she enlightens Gill.

"Oh," replies Gill. "Sorry no I can't."

"Ha, told you," Kim says to Ron with a triumphant smirk.

"Whatever," Ron shoots back at Kim as he crosses his arms across his chest.

"Ah, hi," Gill says drawing the Kim and Ron's attention back to him, "if you two are done, I would like to have my revenge now." Gill immediately shoots a massive muck steam at Kim and Ron, who dive in opposite directions avoiding the first of many assaults.

Kim dives and rolls back unto her feet and quickly turns around to see a smiling Gill focusing on her. She gasps as Gill rapidly fires muck ball after muck ball at her. Instantly, Kim performs a series of backflips and narrowly avoids the barrage of muck balls, which crash into and destroy the wooden crates behind her. The wall of crates behind Kim begins to wobble. She faces Gill once more.

"Plenty more where that came from," Gill says. He prepares to fire another muck barrage.

"And I was beginning to worry," Kim sarcastically says as she prepares for the upcoming assault.

Gil launches a muck ball, which Kim quickly sidesteps. She then performs a backflip onto a wooden crate avoiding another muck ball. Immediately, she pushes off the crate with her feet and narrowly avoids yet another muck ball, which shatters the wooden crate into pieces. Kim lands on her feet but notices a huge shadow looming over her. She turns around and gasps as a huge wall of wooden crates begins to tumble onto her.

"Kim!" Ron yells from the opposite side of the warehouse.

Kim quickly dives and rolls out of the path of the falling crates just as they crash onto the warehouse's floor. A few crates fly into the base of another wall of crates on the opposite side of the warehouse and causes another avalanche of wooden crates to fall onto the floor creating a wall of wooden crates dividing the warehouse in two halves. Kim sits up from her curled position and stares at the massive wall of crates a few feet in front of her.

"Ron!" Kim exclaims as she realizes he is, for the moment, facing Gill alone.

"Kim!" Ron yells as he rushes toward the wall of crates. Before he reaches the wall, Gill jumps between him and the wall.

"Just you and me now, squeeb," Gill says with glee. He fires a muck stream at Ron, who evades it by ducking. Then Ron dives forward head first and slides through in between Gill's legs. Ron quickly gets up and runs away from Gill.

"Ahhhh!' Ron screams as he runs.

"He always does that," a frustrated Gill says through gritted teeth. Then a smile quickly crosses his face. _But at least he has no where to hide now._

Ron quickly scans for a place to hide but cannot find any. He turns around and sees Gill, wearing a menacing smile, stalking him.

"No where to hide and no where to run," Gill says.

_He did it. That ugly, smelly mutant did it. Now, give me a target._

Kim stands up just as Ron's screams reach over the wall of crates. Kim attempts to climb the wall but finds the wall unstable and quickly falls back on the ground as a crate follows after her. She easily dodges the crate. Her heartbeat begins to race as she tries to think of another way over the wall.

Then Kim looks up and sees metal rafters supporting the ceiling. She quickly takes off her backpack, unzips it, and rummages through it looking for her hair dryer grappling gun.

_That's it._

She quickly finds it and pulls it out, ready to aim it at a rafter.

_Now!_

Before she can fire her grappling hook, Kim feels a shape pain in the back of her shoulder causing her to drop her backpack on the ground. She simultaneously lowers her hair dryer and reaches behind her shoulder pulling out a small embedded object. "A tranquiller dart," Kim softly says to herself as she looks at the small dart in her gloved hand before her vision blurs. She staggers back a few steps as she drops the small dart on the floor. She grabs her now throbbing head with one hand while her other hand loses its grip on her hair dryer, which crashes down on the floor. Unable to maintain her balance, she falls backwards and lands hard on the floor, but she barely feels it. Lying on her back, she stares at the ceiling. An overwhelming daze and sleepiness overtakes her. The ceiling seems to slowly race away from her into a blurry abyss where details become lost as the light falls helplessly into it. Soon, a dark, black shadow eclipses the fading light. She could almost see a smile develop on what seems to be a head and hears a muffled, distant chuckle as her eyelids grow heavy and yield to the compulsion to close.

The man just looks down on the sleeping redhead. Her face becomes a picture of peaceful tranquility.

_If only she knew what I have in store for her. Come to think of it, what am I going to do? I was so busy with this part of the plan that I never gave it that much thought. I mean I have a general idea but… all well, I'll think of something. I always do._

He stoops down and rummages through her pockets until he finds her kimmunicator and discards it. He then removes her utility belt and gloves and quickly places them on the floor beside her sleeping form. He looks her over once more. Satisfied, he places one arm under her neck while the other arm slides under her knees. He picks her up and carries her off into the shadows that hid him and a metal door from her detection. Swiftly, he opens the door and carries her into the damp night.

Gill comes closer and closer. Ron yields ground and backs up as he looks for a way out. He finds none.

"Looks like this is the end, squeeb," Gill says as he takes another step toward Ron. "I've dreamed about this for years. Part of me is overjoyed and yet another part of me is disappointed that this is the end." He takes another step as he savors the look of dread plastered on Ron's face. "If only I had a camera so I could always look at the expression on your face any time I wanted to."

"You know, we could do this another time," Ron nervously says as he takes a step back. "That way you can bring the camera and I bring the army. What do you say?" He glances back and finds he's running out of floor as he backs closer to a tall stack of wooden crates.

"Nah, I'm good," replies Gill as he lunges at Ron.

Instantly, Rufus climbs out of Ron's backpack and pulls out Ron's hair dryer grappling gun. He hands to Ron, who immediately aims it up at a metal rafter and pulls the trigger. A grapple hook rockets toward the rafter and wraps securely around it. Ron then flies up toward the rafter just as Gill is about to spear him through the bottom crate. Instead, Gill just misses Ron and crashes through the wooden crate, which sends the wooden crates above it crashing down on him. Ron, hanging from the rafter, looks down to see where Gill is, but only sees a pile of wooden crates. Suddenly, Gill explodes out of his wooden grave all the while roaring in pain and anger.

"Aw, man," Ron disappointedly says.

Gill slowly climbs out of the debris and staggers a few feet before collapsing. He lies prostrate on the ground unconscious.

"Booyah!" Ron shouts victoriously. He throws a big smile toward Rufus, who stands on his shoulder.

"Yeah!" Rufus exclaims.

A slight tinge of disappointment surges through Ron. "You know, part of me is kind of disappointed."

"Huh?" confused Rufus questions.

"When you have a battle with a hate filled mutant determined to unleash a painful vengeance on you, you kind of expect it to be a little more difficult to win. Oh well, any battle from a mutant you can walk away from is…" Ron stops his sentence short because he notices that he can't see Kim anywhere from his vantage point. "Rufus do you see Kim anywhere?"

"No," replies Rufus as he searches for her.

"Kim!" he yells as he scans the other side of the crate wall. Then he immediately spots her backpack on the ground. He flips a switch on his hair dryer and slowly descends down. Still, holding onto the hair dryer, he carefully scales down the wall of wooden crates. A few crates fall and tumble down as he touches them with his feet. Within a minute, he lands on the other side of the wall of crates. He quickly rushes over to Kim's backpack and also discovers her gloves, utility belt, and kimmunicator on the floor. He picks up and gathers each item while Rufus notices something else on the floor. He quickly jumps down to investigate.

"Okay, now I'm worried," Ron says as Rufus draws his attention. "What's that, Rufus?"

"Dart," Rufus tells him as he holds it up to Ron.

Ron quickly puts Kim's backpack on the floor and places her gloves and utility belt on top of it. He still holds the kimmunicator. With his free hand, Ron grabs the dart from Rufus, brings it close to his face and examines it. Fear and dread begin to build within him. "Now I'm definitely worried. Something went seriously wrong here, Rufus." Suddenly, the kimmunicator beeps and Ron quickly answers. "Wade!"

Surprised because he expected Kim, Wade begins to ask about Kim until he notices the fear and concern Ron's face informs him. "Ron? What's the matter? Where's Kim?"

"Kim's totally not here. That's what the matter is."

"Hold on. Tell me what happened."

"Gill attacked us and Kim and I became separated by a huge pile of wooden crates. After Rufus and I beat Gill's biscuit, we came over to the other side of the pile to join up with Kim but she wasn't there. All I found were her backpack, her belt, her gloves, and the kimmunicator while Rufus found this." Ron shows Wade the dart. "My panic meter is at critical here, Wade."

Wade leans forward in his chair. "It's a dart. Ron, point the kimmunicator at it and I'll scan it." Ron points the kimmunicator at the dart lying in his open palm. A red light engulfs the dart and his hand. Within a few seconds, a message reading "scanning complete" flashes on Wade's monitor screen. Wade begins to type a few commands on his keyboard. "All right, let's see what we have here." The scan's readout fills his screen. Wade's eyes rapidly move from side to side soaking up the information.

"Well?" asks an impatient Ron. Hope laces his voice. "Anything?"

"The scan picked up some DNA from the tip," Wade informs. A grim expression forms on his face as his computer quickly compiles a match. "It's Kim's."

"Darts don't hit people by themselves, not even in our world. Someone else was here and he or she shot Kim!"

"He or she must have a way of blocking my scans because all they picked up when I scanned the warehouse was Gill."

Ron's mind begins to work in overdrive. Fighting through the turmoil created by the fear, concern and dread he feels for Kim, a realization pushes to the forefront of his mind.

_The real point for this entire Gill caper was Kim. Gill was just bait to lure Kim into a trap and the distraction to keep us occupied until… Bang! Kidnapping by dart point! _

Ron immediately starts to share his realization to Wade. "Wade, I…"

"…figured out that whoever liberated Gill was just using him as both the bait and the distraction to lure you and Kim into a trap and then keep you occupied until the right time presented itself to incapacitate Kim and take her to who knows where," Wade says completing Ron's sentence as he too comes to the same realization. "But that's only half of the picture. The question now becomes…"

"… why does he or she want Kim?" Ron slowly says with fear and concern lacing his voice. "And what is he or she going to do with her?"

"I'll scan the immediate area. Maybe I can…" As Wade begins to scan the area, he gets a flood of hits. "Ron you have company."

Suddenly, men in yellow hazmat suits along with men in blue jumpsuits wearing body armor and helmets and carrying stun guns flood into the warehouse from all its doors. A loud roar hovers overhead. Seconds later, a small explosion occurs and pieces of the roof come crashing down on Ron and Rufus, who dive out of the way before the pieces crush and bury them. Through the small opening, lights from a large, black and red hover jet pour into the well illuminated warehouse. A rope drops through the opening and soon a man in a blue jumpsuit enters the warehouse via the hole in the ceiling and the rope. He lands on the pile of debris and scans the warehouse as the men in both the hazmat suits and body armor move around him in organized mayhem.

"Do you have the mutant?" asks the man through his two way ear piece.

"Yes Agent Du," the male voice says through his receiver. "He's on the other side of the wall."

"Other side of the…" Agent Du almost asks before he turns around and sees what the other man means. "Oh, right. You mean the other side of the large pile of wooden crates."

"Yes, sir," replies the same voice. "The mutant was and remains unconscious. It is being secured and will be ready for transport in five minute."

"Good. Any signs of the amateur?"

"Amateur, sir?" asks the male voice.

"Miss Possible," clarifies Agent Du. "She should be here."

"Agent Du!" Ron exclaims as he picks himself off the ground and walks toward him. Rufus dusts himself off before following Ron.

Agent Du turns around and sees Ron. He nods and returns to speak to the other agent via the ear piece. "I found her sidekick. She should be close."

He turns to Ron. "Mr. Stoppable, where is Miss Possible? She's been targeted by a very dangerous and most likely a very, very unbalanced man."

"Wrong," Ron corrects him. "She's been hit and like kidnapped by the man with the unlikable combination of adjectives!"

Agent Du stares at Ron for a second as defeat and failure fills him. He turns his attention to his earpiece. "We're too late. The Artist has her."

He unclips the small two way radio from his belt and turns it on. "Dr. Director."

"Report, Agent Du," Dr. Director orders as hope and impatience lace her voice from the other end of the radio.

"We're too late," Agent Du says with defeat. "The Artist has her."

"Wait," Ron interjects, "who's the Artist and why does this person want Kim?"

"It that Ron?" asks Dr. Director.

"Yes," answers Agent Du.

"Bring him back to GJ headquarters," commands Dr. Director.

"Yes, Dr," Agent Du complies. He turns to Ron. "Grab the rope and hold on," orders Agent Du as he grabs the rope.

"What about ans…"

"All your questions will be answered. Now grab the rope."

Ron waits for Rufus to climb into his pocket then he walks toward the rope and grabs it firmly. Agent Du then reaches into his pocket and pulls out his RCM and presses the button. Instantly, the rope quickly retracts and they fly toward the hover jet.

"Ahhhhh!" screams Ron as he is pulled up through the hole in the roof and into the hover jet. He lands in a clump on the metal floor while Agent Du lands on his feet and instantly walks to the jet's cockpit. He sits in the pilot's seat, buckles himself in, disengages the autopilot, and pushes the throttle. The jet violently accelerates to a breakneck speed throwing Ron, who has just gotten back on his feet, toward the back of the jet. He collides with the jet's back wall as it knifes through the damp, overcastted night. Ron slides down and, with his back against the wall, sits on the floor.

"What are you doing back there?" asks Agent Du as he glances back toward Ron before he quickly returns his attention back to flying the hover jet.

"Oh, just developing a concussion," Ron answers while rubbing the back of his head. He slowly gets up, makes his way to the copilot's seat, and sits down. As he buckles himself in, his thoughts, not surprisingly, turn to Kim.

_Hold on Kim! Just hold on! I'm going to find you and I'm going to save you. Just hold on!_

With Ron wrapped up in his thoughts and Agent Du focused on flying, silence soon fills the cockpit as they fly toward GJ headquarters. After twenty minutes, Agent Du breaks it. "Put this on," he says to Ron as he hands him a black blindfold.

Ron takes it and wraps it around his head mistaking it as a bandanna. "You know, I kind of feel silly wearing this thing. Why am I wearing this again?"

As Agent turns toward Ron, he begins to explain. "It's standard pr…" He stops as he sees a perplexed Ron wearing the blindfold as a bandanna staring back at him. Agent Du covers his eyes with one hand while shaking his head.

"What?" asks Ron as he shrugs his shoulders.

"It's a blindfold," explains an irritated Agent Du, "you put it over your eyes."

"If I put it over my eyes then I wouldn't be able to see anything," says Ron who quickly realizes that's the point, "ohhh." He pushes the blindfold down until it's over his eyes, adjusts it, and ties it to once again secure it. The opaqueness of the blindfold allows Ron to see nothing but darkness. Suddenly, he feels the jet decelerate steadily until it comes to a stop in mid air. Ron then feels the jet bounce slightly up and down before it performs a smooth, slow descent. This lasts for several seconds before he feels the jet touch down on something solid. Ron hears the clicking of Agent Du's seat belt as he unbuckles it. Ron reaches down for his seat belt and does the same. "Okay so now what?" Ron asks before he is immediately pulled out of his seat. "Whaaaa!"

"Come with me," says Agent Du's voice as Ron feels a gentle, but firm pull on his arm.

"Oh, like I have a choice," Ron says. He hits his foot on something hard. "Ow! Hey slow down!" He hops a little on his uninjured foot before something hard hits this foot. "Ow! Ow!" Suddenly, he hears a loud whoosh sound. "What was that?"

"The door opening," Agent Du states in a matter-of-fact tone.

"There aren't any stairs, right?" asks a concerned Ron.

"Yes, there are," says Agent Du.

"This does not bode well," warns Ron. Suddenly, Agent Du removes the blindfold and Ron's eyes begin to adjust to the brightness that greets him. Once his eyes have adjusted, Ron sees that the hover jet lies within an enormous hanger concealed within a large mountain with large lights attached to the metal walls. Looking around, he sees several other stationary hover jets of varying size, and shape in alignment with each other. He witnesses one taking off as its boosters lift it straight off its pad and up through the massive opening in the ceiling while another enters the hanger through the same opening. Ron also notices technicians and mechanics checking, maintaining, or repairing many of the stationary ones, including the one he stands in. "Whoa," an amazed Ron states.

Rufus emerges from Ron's pocket and shares Ron's amazement. "Wow!"

"Come on, Stoppable," Agent Du says, "Dr. Director is waiting." He steps around Ron and walks down the mobile metal stairs.

Ron, with resolve painted on his face, says to Rufus, "Time for some answers." He takes a step off the hover jet and slips. "Ahhhhh!" Ron screams as he tumbles down the stairs. Agent Du turns around just in time to see a tumbling Ron heading toward him. Unable to avoid the collision, Agent Du finds himself at the bottom of the stairs in a pile with Ron on top of him. Rufus emerges on top as an irritated expression forms on Agent Du's face while he drums his fingers on the cool, metal floor. "Sorry," Ron weakly says.

Agent Du's only responds with a deep, frustrated sigh as he pushes Ron off of him and picks himself off the ground. He walks gingerly toward a set of medium size automated sliding metal doors, which open. He waits at the door's threshold for Ron, who slowly gets up and dusts himself off. Rufus climbs up Ron and perches himself onto Ron's shoulder. Then Ron makes his way toward Agent Du and they both break the door's threshold. Seconds later, the sliding doors close.


	7. Chapter 6

Opening her eyes, a blinding light from above greets her and she reflexively closes them again as a grimace of pain fills her countenance. She grabs her throbbing head with her hand.

_Oh, man. What happened?_

As she searches her memory for an answer, she discovers she is lying on a firm mattress. She turns on her side, opens her eyes and looks down at the clean, white fabric underneath her.

_A mattress? _

Fighting through her headache, which begins to fade, she starts to remember the resent events that occurred a few hours ago.

_I was in the warehouse and… Gill!_

"Ron!" Kim exclaims as she quickly sits up on the bed. She looks around hoping to see him, but instead, discovers she is in a clean white walled room with no door. She remembers more.

_We were separated and I was shot with a dart. And, with the fact I'm in a room I don't remember entering, I'm going to take a stab that it was filled with a tranquiller. _

Concern for Ron immediately surfaces.

_I hope Ron's all right._

She reassures herself.

_Come on Kim. You know Ron's all right. You can feel it. He's taken on Gill without you before and totally spanked him. You have bigger things to worry about, like getting out of here._

Looking up, she sees four vents, one centered per wall, just below the boundary between the walls and the ceiling. Scanning further, she sees a small surveillance camera tucked in the far corner pointing right at her.

_Well, at least there isn't some voice speaking to me over a speaker from some other… _

Looking right above her, she sees a white speaker embedded in the near wall. Suddenly, a male voice speaks to her through it. "Well, sleeping beauty's finally awake."

A deep sigh escapes her lips. Then a thought occurs to her.

_I guess it couldn't hurt. Gee, I sure hope that a hole doesn't form in the far wall over there._

Nothing happens.

_Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Of course I ventured, and gained nothing._

"Ah, hello," the voice speaks, which draws Kim's attention again. "Your captor is speaking here. Usually the captive shows some interest at this point."

"Oh, sorry," Kim says. "It's just that your enthusiasm wanes a little more every time your villains capture you until finally you just find it hard to get in the captive mood sometimes. And this headache sure doesn't help either."

"You're being sassy aren't you?"

"Just a little," replies Kim. "So, are you going to tell me why I'm here? I mean you went to so much trouble to get me in this lovely single room with its stunning décor with all the planning, the luring, the trapping, the distracting, and… oh yeah the shooting… with the tranquiller dart, which was so not cool by the way."

"And the sass just keeps on coming." A small laughter of delight follows before he continues. "You're more than I expected, more than I dreamed, more than I imagined."

"Stop," Kim says in an unimpressed and bored tone, "I'm blushing." She then checks her pant pocket and finds nothing. _And why am I not surprised?_

"Lose something?" the voice asks feigning concern.

"I seem to have misplaced a few of my things," Kim answers looking at her naked hands and absent belt. "But you probably knew that all ready."

"I couldn't let you just call for help or break out before I even started my little project."

_This is getting so old. _Kim rolls her eyes. "Look, I have the feeling you're kind of new at this. Usually, the villain does a little small talk and goes right to the gloating. Normally, the small talk I'm fine with but I just got up so… could we move this along."

"It's not like you're in a hurry, but all right. Although, I'm never one to boast of my plans before I start them. I'm more of an actions-speak-louder -than-words kind of guy. So since you want to know my plan and why you're here, instead of telling you I'll just show you and you can draw your own conclusions. How's that sound?"

Kim again looks around her cell. "Sounds fine considering I don't have a choice in the matter."

"As long as you breathe, you always have a choice. That's one of the few certainties in life. Choosing to live a normal life or a heroic one, choosing to remain as best friends or choosing to risk that precious friendship to gain something even more wonderful, choosing to give in or to fight, these are just a few choices one can make. Wait a minute. These are the some of the choices you faced and you chose the latter each time. Hey, would you look at that."

"And you would be getting to the point where you tell me your plan… when?" Kim peevishly asks.

"Since you ask so nicely…" the voice says. Moments later a small panel on the floor slides opens, and a square, wooden table rises up through the opening. A Rubik's Cube sits on it. Kim slowly gets off the bed and carefully makes her way to the table. She slowly reaches for the puzzle and brings it up to her face. She examines it for a few seconds.

"You want me to solve this?" Kim asks as she throws a perplexed look at the camera.

"No, but it holds a two fold purpose. Answer my question and I'll let you go." Suddenly, a small rectangular section in the far wall's center slides open revealing a grey, colored hallway with a lone metal door at its end. "If you answer wrong, then you stay until you answer correctly. During that time, you could try and solve that thing, but I doubt you will be in the mood."

"Answer your question correctly and I walk out of here," a skeptical Kim reaffirms. "You do realize I ferociously mistrust you, don't you?"

"Yes, but that won't stop me from asking my question. So here it is. What do you see?"

"That's your question!" exclaims Kim. "What do I see? I doubt you went to all this trouble to just ask me that. What's the catch?"

"It's a simple question, Miss Possible," says the voice. "Whether I'm genuine or not, what do you have to lose in answering my question? It's not like you have better things to do at the moment."

"Actually," Kim says as she glances at the rectangular opening in the wall, "there is one thing." She drops the Rubik's Cube on the floor and simultaneously makes a mad dash toward the opening but it closes before she can escape through it. Kim pounds on the metal door in frustration. _So close._

"I should have seen that one coming, but I'll overlook this little transgression. My offer is still on. Answer the question. What do you see?"

Kim slowly walks back to the Rubik's Cube lying on the floor and picks it up. She remains silent for a few moments. _What do I have to lose? I doubt he will keep his word but maybe if I play along then I may be able to find out what this guy wants besides playing twenty questions. _Taking a deep breath, Kim gives her answer. "I spy with my little eye, a Rubik's Cube."

"Ooooo, sorry that's not correct!"

Before Kim can protest, a shape, intense pain suddenly floods her body sending mind numbing electricity to her brain. "Ahhhhhhhh," Kim screams as she collapses on the floor applying a death grip on the Rubiks Cube. Just as suddenly as the pain appeared, it fades and all that remains is an indescribable memory. Wide eyed in shock, Kim, still clutching the Rubiks Cube, gingerly crawls to her bed grabbing its edge for support and pulls herself up onto it. She hugs her stomach as it knots and recoils inside her. It takes all she has not to throw up before taking a few deep, quiet breaths as she sits on the bed.

"What happened?" Kim softly asks after a few moments when her breathing returns to normal and her stomach manages to settle down. She notices the soreness in her hand that gripped the Rubik's Cube so tightly in response to the pain. She looks down at it and tries to open her hand but can't. Using her other hand, she pulls out the Rubik's Cube and tosses it onto the floor.

"Did I neglect to mention that while you were sleeping, I injected experimental nanobots into your blood stream? These little beauties were designed to repair organs and tissues without the need for extensive surgery. At least that was their intended purpose. We both know where the road paved with good intentions leads to. Because of their excitement, the scientists failed to see the whole picture. While they can repair organs and tissues, the patient has to be unconscious or sedated. Otherwise…"

"Ahhhhh!" Kim screams as another wave of pain rushes over her. She falls back onto the bed gritting her teeth as the pain slowly intensifies. Then it stops and a huge sigh of relief escapes Kim's lips as she once again takes deep breathes.

"…that happens. What's interesting is that, once activated, the intensity of the pain caused by the nanobots is directly proportional to the frequency of the sound waves used to control them. So, the frequencies used to inflict excruciating pain are well above the range of human hearing. It's a good thing too because I would not be able to hear you scream."

"Ahhhhh!" Kim screams again as an unbearable pain assaults her. She closes her eyes and grits her teeth again as she lies on the bed. The pain, not localized but spread throughout her body, only intensifies slowly as she let's out other sounds of anguish. Then she feels the pain's intensity increasing dramatically. "Ahhhhhh!" she screams again.

In the room where he made his deal with Gill, the brown haired man sits in the dark in front of his multi-screened computer watching and hearing Kim suffer. The light from his monitors dances across his face as he leans back in his chair. He holds a remote in his right hand as he continues to press down on a red button with his thumb. He closes his eyes listening to Kim's screams as though they are a great work of musical composition. "Hmmm, what a lovely voice," remarks the man.

"Welcome back to GJ headquarters, Ron," says Dr. Director as Ron and Agent Du enter the large command room filled with a massive viewscreen. Advanced computers occupy most of the room while scientists and agents perform various duties. Her face offers no smile but a look of concern. "I just wish this was under better circumstances. How are you holding up?"

"Well, other than the fact that one of the most important people in my life is in the clutches of some dangerous person doing who knows what to her, I'm just peachy. Now, who is the Artist?"

Dr. Director takes a deep breath before she tells Ron what she knows. "We do not know his name but we are very acquainted with his work. If you will follow me to the conference room, I'll be able to better explain the situation to you."

She turns to her right and heads for a sliding metal door, which opens. Agent Du nods to Ron and walks over to a computer station, sits down and starts typing on the keyboard. Once and a while he stops and reads the text that appears on the screen before continuing his typing. Ron quickly follows Dr. Director and passes through the opening. Ron sees a large wooden oval table surrounded by swiveling chairs with wheels at their bases and blue colored cushions on their seats and backs. At the table's near end sits a large metallic device, which Dr. Director stands in front of.

"Ron, please take a seat," Dr. Director says as she gestures toward the closest chair to her right. Ron takes that seat while Dr. Director takes the seat in front of the metallic device. Rufus, who still remains roosted upon Ron's shoulder, jumps down onto the table. Dr. Director presses a button on the device and a keyboard slides out from it. A few seconds later, a monitor ascends out of the device in front of her. She adjusts the keyboard and begins to type for a few seconds searching for a file until she finds it. She then presses the enter button on the keyboard and the lights in the room begin to dim. A large white screen drops down from the ceiling at the table's far end and a blue light emanates from the device projecting what appears on the monitor. Dr. Director quickly presses a button and a picture of three GJ agents appears on the screen. One is a young fair skinned female agent with brunette hair and hazel eyes, another is a middle aged black male with a small scar on his forehead, and the last is a blonde haired male in his early thirties with blue eyes and a slightly tanned complexion. A list of stats concerning each agent appears under their pictures.

"Ron, these individuals were some of our top agents," says Dr. Director.

"You mean they're…"

"No, but they will never be quite the same," Dr. Director says with sorrow lacing her voice. "Over a span of three years, each one experienced a horrific ordeal with the individual we call The Artist. One by one, each went missing. Then several months later each reappeared, possibly forever altered."

"What do you mean?" asks Ron. "What happened to them?"

"He tortured them and caused each one to lose a grip on reality. At first, they would not answer simple questions such as 'Do you know who you are?' and 'Do you know where you are?' They experienced vivid hallucinations that they reacted to in varying degrees from violent outbursts to submissive and timid reactions of curling up in a ball and either rocking back and forth or crying until they were out of tears."

"Did they get better?" asks a concerned Ron.

Dr. Director only answers at first with silence as she looks away, unable to look Ron in the eyes. "Somewhat but they are not at the same level of recovery. The hallucinations seemed to be temporary while they started to open up more and more as they progressed into their individual treatments but they never returned to complete normalcy. They hardly talk about what happened to them except that they all say they heard a male voice speak to them while they were tortured. Neither one saw his face and each experienced a different method of torture."

"Why does he call himself The Artist?" asks Ron.

"He doesn't. We named him that based on the printed notes he left on their persons when he released them." Dr. Director highlights the female agent and presses the enter button. A close up of her photo appears on the white screen. "Agent Raven was the first. She disappeared three years ago. When we found her several months later, she had a note on her that read 'Do you like my piece of art?'" She then presses escape bringing back the previous screen and highlights the black male agent, who's enlarged photo takes up the white screen. "Agent Croft was next and disappeared a few months after Agent Raven returned. Again, we found him several months later, and he had a note on him that read 'My latest piece of art.'" She repeats the same motions and the white male agent's enlarged photo appears on the white screen. "Agent Ark was the latest. He disappeared several months ago. We found him just a few days ago. His note was more telling than the others and read 'And yet another piece of art but my next will be my greatest, a masterpiece.'"

Ron ponders about the last note, and the events over the last couple of days. _"My next will be my greatest… a masterpiece." Wait, something's coming. I… have it. The real point to this whole "missing Gill" sitch, he wanted Kim to be… but that means… oh-no!_

"He's going to make Kim his greatest piece yet!" Ron shouts as he jumps out of his seat. "That's his whole motivation behind everything concerning this Gill mission. He knew that Kim would be involved in recapturing Gill. Oh man, Kim!" Ron reaches down into his pocket and pulls out the kimmunicator. "Wade, Kim's in serious trouble!"

"Tell me something I don't know, Ron," Wade says immediately after he appears on the kimmunicator's screen.

"Okay," replies Ron. "Kim's being held and tortured by some psycho named The Artist. He plans to make her his greatest work of art by torturing her. We have to find her soon. The longer he has her, the worst Kim's chances get."

"Ron, did GJ tell you this?" Wade asks.

"Yes," answers Ron, "Rufus and I are at GJ headquarters."

"How did they suspect Kim was a target and why didn't they warn us?" Wade asks.

"That's a good question," Ron says to Dr. Director.

"Yeah!" exclaims an upset Rufus who stares angrily at the eye patch wearing head of GJ.

"We wanted to keep this within GJ," says Dr. Director. "We investigated every lead, even the smallest, but came up with nothing. At the same time all my agents were tense since we believed The Artist would strike anyone of us. So I made the decision to get outside help in finding and capturing The Artist."

"Kim," Ron says. "You were going to ask Kim for help."

"Since you and she aren't GJ agents, we figured you two would be the logical choice to head this investigation. Our intelligence placed you at a Dr. Shea's lab. So, I sent Agent Du to retrieve you two. When he arrived, you two were long gone. He asked Dr. Shea what you two were doing at the lab and where you went. Unfortunately, Dr. Shea was not very forth coming. We didn't have time to play cloak and dragger so I order Agent Du to use his 'people skills' to convince Dr. Shea to divulge the reason he and his lab contacted you and Kim."

"Agent Du has people skills!" exclaims a skeptical Ron before shaking his head. "Never mind. Go on."

"He threatened to close the lab down. Dr. Shea became more open after that and told him about the Gill incident and the location he was delivered to. Agent Du quickly flew to the abandon airfield and looked in its hanger, but again you were gone. In the meantime, we had begun to put together the information that Agent Du gave us concerning the Gill incident. The subtlety of the whole thing was the key. If whoever staged this wanted Gill so badly, why go the hard way where you did not have complete control? The delivery could have been delayed. Dr. Shea's meeting could have been moved whereby he would have been at the lab when the transport order came. If the delivery men had been more brave and used common sense, they might have not completed the delivery when they saw that they were leaving it inside an abandon hanger."

"In other words," Ron says, "why didn't he just do the standard villain thing and blast his way into the lab in order to steal Gill?"

"Exactly," Dr. Director says. "Subtlety, the same subtlety The Artist used to get to those three agents. Each one lured into a carefully planned trap and captured. I found it strange that some one who expresses himself with art, twisted and sick as it is, would go through lengths not to be known. Even after he completed his 'pieces', he never mentioned a name for us to use."

"That still doesn't answer the not warning us component of my question," Wade says.

"We were not one hundred percent sure that this was his handiwork but if it was then we would capture him when he attempted his pickup. When you contacted the authorities and Dr. Shea's lab that Kim and Ron were engaging Gill, I made certain GJ headed the clean up. Unfortunately, we had miscalculated how fast he was. No doubt he struck at the first opportunity when you two were preoccupied with Gill."

"I get it," Wade says.

"Get what?" asks Ron.

"GJ used Kim as bait to get this guy. That's why they did not warn us."

"You must understand," Dr. Director jumps in. "If he suspected that Kim knew anything about him, he might have abandoned his plans and go back into seclusion. This was an opportunity and we had to take it."

"But you came up short and now he has Kim," Ron says. Anger joins his ever building concern for Kim but he quickly attempts to quash it. _Getting angry and blowing up will totally not help Kim. I have to remain calm. _He takes a few deep breaths and continues. "Okay, what's done is done and … moving on. We need to find Kim and soon. It's just I don't know how to do that."

"I have an idea," Wade chimes in. "The GPS satellites were focused on the warehouse."

"I thought you said that he could block your scanning?" Ron asks.

"Yes, but I doubt he could hide from plain view. It's a long shot but maybe the satellites pick up a visual of something like a vehicle. It wasn't a busy night. He had to have taken Kim to a planned location. Unless that location was nearby, then I doubt he carried her all the way there, but I'll double check on the scans of the area too. Just in case."

"But it was raining," Ron says, "which means dark, thick clouds that block stuff."

"That's the long shot part. Even if the satellites did get something, I'm going to have to go through every picture frame by frame since I doubt he would have GPS installed in a vehicle, if he used one. This is going to take time."

"All of GJ's resources are at your disposal," Dr. Director says. "Whatever you need."

"It could lessen the time if I had a couple of more sets of eyes," Wade says, "if there is anything to find that is."

"It's all we have," Ron says with a glimmer of hope. "In the meantime, I have to go back to Middleton and tell Kim's parents why she isn't home yet." He looks at his watch. "So pasted her curfew, man they must be totally freaking."

"The tubes will take you back to Middleton," Dr. Director says as she turns off the device in front of her. Instantly, the lights brighten to their previous illumination.

"I'll contact you, Ron, when we find something," Wade says. "I'm going to establish a link to the GJ computers and begin working." He pauses for a minute. "We'll find her Ron," Wade says before he ends his link to the kimmunicator.

Ron stares at the kimmunicator for a few seconds. _I know we will, but will she be all right when we do? _He places the kimmunicator in his pocket while Rufus climbs up onto his shoulder and gives him a reassuring pat on the cheek while offering a smile. Ron turns to him and weakly smiles back. Ron then walks to the exit where Dr. Director waits for him.

"This way to the tubes," Dr. Director says as she gestures in a direction beyond the doors. She walks along side Ron and escorts him to them.


	8. Chapter 7

* * *

For those who waited for an update, please forgive the delay. I got tied up with school and all.

* * *

"Ahhhhhh!" screams Kim. For nearly two hours, the pain inflicted on her by her kidnapper using the nanobots has become steadily more localized, mostly centering on her head, which she grabs with both her hands. Sitting on her bed, she grits her teeth and closes her eyes as the unbearable pain causes her head to throb so rapidly that it feels it is on the verge of exploding. Then it slowly stops and begins to subside. She opens her eyes and starts to take deep breaths since she held her breath during the duration of the pain. She then angrily glares at the camera. "What's your damage?" she yells.

"You didn't answer the question correctly," states the male voice nonchalantly.

"You asked who I was," Kim says with exasperation. "I told you!"

"You told me you were Kim Possible, which is true, but it was not the answer I was looking for," says the voice.

"Then what?" asks a very frustrated, angry, and tired Kim. "Why are you doing this… just to mess with me?"

"Now I don't want to divulge everything right away. I think I ruin my mysteriousness if I did that."

"More like your annoyance," retorts Kim.

"Here's a little tip. Don't tick off someone who can inflict unbelievable suffering on you with the pressing of a button. I'm just thinking that's not a very good idea. Now I'm not angry that you keep pouring out the sass. That just means the fun's still fresh."

"I'm so overjoyed that you're having fun," Kim sarcastically shoots back at the camera, "but you know when I get out of here, I'm going to so …"

"I can see you desperately need a breather," says the male voice. Suddenly, a hissing sound resonates in the white room and in Kim's ears. It surrounds her and she looks up as green gas begins to sink into the room from the four vents above her. "Enjoy!"

_Great, the fun just keeps pouring in! _

She gasps as the green gas rapidly pours into and fills the room.

_I'm exhausted and there isn't anywhere I can go or anything I can do. _

Kim begins to cough as the gas continues to flood the room and her lungs.

_What am I going to do?_

She coughs more violently as her head begins to feel lightheaded. Her vision blurs and her hearing becomes muffled. Kim collapses on the bed as she continues coughing. Soon her vision and hearing slowly return to normal while her coughing starts to settle down, although her head still feels lightheaded. She takes a few breaths, and looks around.

"That wasn't so bad," Kim softly says to herself as she slowly sits up

_Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret saying that? _

Suddenly, she feels an odd sensation in her mouth. She slowly brings her hand up to her mouth and touches her upper front teeth with her finger. They feel loose. She pushes a little harder and they instantly fold back as if they consisted of rubber. She gasps in shock and horror as she removes her finger and she feels them fold forward.

_What's going… _

Then, Kim feels one fall out, then another and another. She looks down onto her lap and sees three teeth lying on her lap like fallen soldiers on the battlefield as drops of red rain down onto her pants. She knows that her mouth bleeds from the empty spaces that her fallen teeth once occupied. Tightness, caused by panic and shock, builds in her chest as she closes her mouth and clasps her hand over it. Tears start to involuntarily well up in her eyes until they fall down her cheeks. She tries to breathe slowly but finds it difficult as the blood continues to fill her mouth. She then feels more of her teeth fall out and sink in the ever growing pool of blood in her mouth. She struggles to keep her mouth close as its capacity is almost reached. She doesn't want to shallow as she brings her chin to her chest and lowers her head.

_Why doesn't it stop? _

She feels the blood escape her mouth and flow into the spaces between her fingers, unto the back of her hand, and down her arm. She can't hold on and her mouth gives way to… nothing. She feels nothing. She looks down at her lap and the fallen teeth disappear. She instantly, checks her mouth with her hand.

_All there, they're all there!_

She checks her hand to confirm the current sensation in her mouth.

_No bleeding. _

A sigh of relief escapes her as the tightness in her chest dissipates. She feels the wet trails of her tears on her cheeks and wipes them away with her hand.

_What just happened? Was that a dream or …hallucination? It felt so real. _

The Artist sits in his chair staring at Kim, who has a perplexed and relieved expression on her face, through his multi screened computer monitor sitting on his metal desk. He has just witnessed her reactions to the gas. A small smile forms on his face. "We have only just begun," he says to her through the monitor as he turns it off. He gets up from his desk. "Until tomorrow, Kimberly," he says to himself as he exits the room.

He stood outside her house's front door for ten minutes like a statue filled with uncertainty, which mixed with his ever growing concern and nervousness for her well being. The lights remained on. Ten minutes before, he called his parents using his cell phone to tell them that he was fine. They were, not surprisingly, worried and very upset that he had not come home earlier or that he hadn't at least called to tell them he would be late. He explained to them the events that occurred earlier that night. They could feel his emotions as he told them about Gill, Kim's kidnapping, and being told her kidnapper is a dangerous and probably mess up individual. They understood why he didn't call but that did not excuse him for letting them worried like that. He apologized but told them he had something to take care of before he headed back home, namely, to tell the love of his life's parents why she had not come home yet and explain what happened to her. They allowed him to do this since they sympathized with Kim's parents when worrying about your child's well being and whereabouts but warned him to expect a small talk they were going to have when he arrived home. He told them he understood, and he loved them. He then turned off his cell phone and made his way to Kim's house, all the while trying to come up with the right words to inform her parents about their daughter's current predicament.

As of yet, he has not. "What am I going to say to them, Rufus?" Ron asks turning to his right shoulder where Rufus roosts. "And how am I going to say it?"

Rufus comforts him with a pat on the cheek. "You'll find a way."

After a few more minutes of thinking, he decides to just do it. "Well, standing here thinking isn't helping and I have to tell them. Guess I have to wing it." Taking a deep breath, he walks up to the door and knocks on it while Rufus climbs down and into Ron's pocket. Within seconds, the door flies open revealing a worried and exhausted Mr. and Mrs. Possible.

"Ron, thank goodness you're all right," says Mrs. Possible. A hint of relief begins to push its way through the thick curtain of worry and fear.

"Where's Kimmie?" Mr. Possible asks immediately. "It's past her curfew and…" The expression on Ron's face simultaneously halts him from completing his sentence and gives an answer to his question.

"Ron, what's wrong?" asks Mrs. Possible. The fear and worry overwhelm and bury the small shard of relief from growing. "Where's Kim?"

"Can we talk inside?" asks Ron. "We better talk inside."

"All right," Mr. Possible calmly says as he moves aside to let Ron in. Ron enters while Mr. Possible closes the door. "The dining room," instructs Mr. Possible, "will be fine." Ron makes his way to the dining room with Mr. and Mrs. Possible following close behind. The trio soon enters and each takes a seat at the table, Mr. Possible at the end near the entrance and Mrs. Possible and Ron on either side of him.

"Okay, Ron," Mrs. Possible says as Mr. Possible scoot his chair so that he can face Ron. "What happened to Kim?"

Ron takes a deep breath and begins to tell them. "Kim and I got a mission to track down and capture a mutant named Gill."

"A mutant named Gill," Mr. Possible says. "He doesn't like you that much does he?"

"Not really, but giving time he might lighten up a bit on the whole seeking revenge on Ron goal he strives for," Ron says.

"Did he do something to Kim?" asks Mrs. Possible. Her heart nearly jumps out of her chest.

"No, he didn't do anything to her," says Ron. Mrs. Possible breathes a small sigh. Ron continues. "He did split us up and he went after me. While we tangoed, Kim was hit with a tranquilizer dart and taken somewhere. When Gill and I finished, I went searching for Kim and I only found her backpack, her gloves, her belt, the kimmunicator, and the dart that hit her."

"Do you know who took her, Ron?" asks Mr. Possible.

"GJ calls him The Artist. He used Gill to lure us into a trap and to distract us while he waited until Kim and I were separated. Then he took her."

"What does he want with Kim?" asks Mrs. Possible.

Ron remains silent. _How am I going to tell them that he wants to torture Kim until she breaks? How can I tell them when I can't even think about it?_

"Ron, tell us," Mrs. Possible demands as her concern increases exponentially.

"He wants… he wants to…" Suddenly, the kimmunicator beeps. "Hold on. Wade might have something." _I hope. _Rufus carries the kimmunicator onto the table and lifts it in order that all present can see the screen. Ron presses a button and Wade appears on the screen. "Tell me you have something."

"I have something," says Wade. "It was exhausting but I, with the help of GJ, discovered a delivery truck in most of the satellite picture frames leaving the warehouse. It drove around the city for ten minutes, drove out of the city, and after ten minutes reentered the city before stopping in the old dilapidated business district."

"Where?" say all three sitting at the table in unison as they nearly jump out of their chairs.

"Five miles south of the warehouse," Wade informs them. "I scanned the area and found that one of the buildings has a medium sized structure below it. It seems to have been built recently. There is an entrance to an elevator hidden on the first floor of the building. As to whether there is anyone down there, I can't say because my scans can't penetrate it, but I have a good feeling that Kim's there."

"Then I'm gone," says Ron. "Come on Rufus." Ron gets up from the table then turns to the Possibles. "I promise I'll bring her back."

"We know you will, Ronald," Mr. Possible says as he places his arm around his wife. "Good luck."

Ron grabs the kimmunicator while Rufus climbs up and onto his shoulder. Ron heads out of the dining room and towards the front door. "Wade, I need a ride. When's GJ coming?"

"They're not. Dr. Director immediately sent a team led by Agent Du at the location as soon as her agents and I pin pointed a possible location. He should be there in thirty minutes. I can set up a ride for you so that you arrive five minutes behind him."

"So I guess all available resources doesn't include a ride," Ron says as he opens the front door, steps outside, and closes it.

"Guess not but Agent Du might need your help to find that entrance."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't tell them where exactly the entrance is located after Dr. Director informed me she would not allow you to go with the team on grounds of concern for your safety. Although their scans discovered the hidden structure beneath the building, they couldn't pin point the entrance, at least not yet. So if you hurry, you might not lose much ground to Agent Du and his team."

"Thanks Wade," Ron says as a black Hughes MD 530F military helicopter lands on the Possibles' front lawn.

"Good luck, Ron," Wade says. At that, Wade ends his transmission and the kimmunicator's screen goes blank.

Ron places the kimmunicator in his right pant pocket as he lowers his head and quickly walks to the egg shaped helicopter and climbs in. As soon as he closes the door, the helicopter lifts off and flies toward the city of Lense.


	9. Chapter 8

Run down buildings of varying heights and widths line both sides of the deserted, potholed Trump Street as haggard lamp posts pour small pools of light onto it. The sidewalks where pedestrians once walked are now littered with the debris of these buildings as leaves and small shards of paper ride the gentle, cool breeze from the north. On the sturdy roof of a five story, brick building sits a large blue GJ hover jet while repel lines dangle from the edge of the roof like fishing lines from a boat. Down below, several agents in blue body armor and carrying stun weapons huddle around a statuesque Agent Du.

"All right, I want a perimeter set up around that building," orders Agent Du as he points to a dilapidated three story, brick building a block down. "Check for any entrances or exits that might lead to the underground structure below it while I investigate the inside."

"Are you sure that's wise, sir?" asks a red headed female agent. "The Artist has all ready taken three agents."

"He works in the shadows and prefers the non-confrontational approach," Agent Du responds.

"But if this is the right location, then we're on his turf," rebuts a black male agent, "he might be a little more confrontational."

"Hopefully, we can get the jump on him before he suspects anything," says Agent Du. "From our profile, he appears to be overconfident about his abilities to stay hidden and evade us."

"He has good reason to since this is the only time we ever come close to at least have a chance of capturing him," a brown haired white male agent remarks.

"Then let's make it count," Agent Du says. "You have your orders. Go!"

"Yes sir," all the agents reply in unison. They then quickly and quietly fan out, some taking strategic positions around the building in question while a few others survey the surrounding area around it using hand held scanners or advanced night vision goggles with scanning capabilities.

Agent Du quietly makes his way toward the building while wearing a pair of these goggles. He checks for any security devices by scanning the building from top to bottom paying particular attention to its boarded up and broken windows. He reaches its front entrance and quickly scans the wooden doors, which barely hang on to their hinges, for any alarms. Satisfied, Agent Du turns the knob of the right door and quietly pushes against it. It sticks somewhat but eventually opens into a hallway decorated with a sea of dust and cobweb streamers. Beat up, defeated doors line both sides of the hallway. Agent Du scans the hallway with his goggles and again finds no indications for the presence of any security devices. Creeping his way into the hallway, he begins to check the rooms one by one. He carefully scans the door first making sure they are not wired with anything. He then scans the unfurnished rooms for anything odd.

After ten minutes, Agent Du comes to the last room at the end of the hallway and checks the door.

_Nothing again. _

He opens the door and enters the room, which is in worst condition than the other rooms. Debris lies on the floor in piles with a large one almost in the middle. Looking up, he sees several holes in the ceiling and the room above him. He scans the room, the walls first and then the floor.

_Hello. _

Scanning the floor, Agent Du sees something underneath the large pile.

_It looks like a ladder. _

He stoops down and carefully clears the debris and finds a large hatch with a metal handle protruding out of it. He pulls up on the handle and opens the hatch, which gives a metallic moan. He removes his goggles and clips them to his belt and then takes out a small, black flashlight and aims it into the opening. He discovers several metal rungs marching down the wall of a shaft into a gapping abyss.

_This looks promising. Better investigate…_

"Hey you found it."

Startled, Agent Du quickly stands up and turns around coming face to face with an unexpected person. "Stoppable, how did you… "

"Dude, they're called sneakers," Ron says in a matter of fact tone as he points to his feet.

"For sneaking," Rufus, who stands on Ron's shoulder, says gleefully.

"I know that," Agent Du whispers through gritted teeth. "How did you get in here?"

"Same way you did," Ron says as he points to the door.

Agent Du smacks his forehead with his palm in frustration. _How does the amateur put up with this without seriously losing her mind? _"How did you get in the building… in the area undetected?"

"Well, I parachuted out of a helicopter and landed onto the roof while you and the others were in your huddle, and then made my way down to this room to get to the entrance to the underground thingy."

"How did you know there was an entrance in this room?" asks Agent Du.

"It seems Wade's scanners are a wee bit better than GJ's ," Ron says.

Agent Du is not amused. "All right, I don't care how you got in here. This is a GJ operation. You have no business being here. I can handle the Artist by myself. I don't need you."

Ron adopts his serious face. "Good because I'm not here to help you or to capture this Artist. I'm here for one reason." He leans in a little and looks right into Agent Du's eyes. "Her name is Kim. Now, I made a promise that I'm not coming back home without her and I'm going to keep it whether or not we help each other. So however you slice it, I'm going down there no matter what."

"Fine," Agent Du says as he stoops down and starts to climb down the metal rungs. He stops and looks up at Ron. "Just stay out of my way." He then continues climbing down.

"Man, he really needs to work on his people skills," Ron says to Rufus.

"Oh, yeah," replies Rufus before he climbs into Ron's backpack. Ron then stoops down and follows Agent Du down the metal rungs. _I'm coming Kim. Just hold on._

After a five minute descent, Agent Du approaches the bottom of the shaft and soon finds himself in a short metallic corridor. He turns on his flashlight and surveys the immediate area. He sees a metal door at its end and slowly moves toward it as Ron finishes climbing down shaft via the imbedded metal rungs. Ron moves toward Agent Du and stands beside him as he stares at the door.

"Yeah, I'm guessing this wasn't part of the original design for this building," Ron says.

"Hold this," Agent Du says as he hands Ron his small flashlight. He then unclips his goggles and puts them on. Through the goggles he scans for any security devices on or near the metal door. He finds none. "The door's clear."

"Actually, it's metallic," Ron says.

Sighing, Agent Du approaches the metal door and ponders how to open it since a knob isn't present.

"Don't worry I got this," says Ron as he reaches into his pocket with his free hand and pulls out a red stick of lipstick from a compartment.

"You carry lipstick with you," says a deadpan Agent Du.

"It's not mine," Ron says defensively. "It's Kim's. Beside her shade so does not go with my complex…" Agent Du raises an eyebrow. "I mean this isn't normal lip stick." He aims the lip stick at the door and removes the cap. Instantly, a red laser beam shoots out of the stick and hits the metal door. Ron begins to cut a generous rectangular opening through the metal door. Within seconds, the large rectangular cutout collapses in front of Ron and Agent Du. He smiles at Agent Du. "After you," Ron says as he extends his arm toward the door. Agent Du says nothing as he snatches his flashlight back from Ron and walks past him entering the newly formed opening. Ron follows right behind him.

"This seems to be a garage," Agent Du says softly to himself.

Ron hears him. "Yeah, what clued you in?"

The two find themselves in the presence of an inconspicuous green delivery truck sitting in a large room containing a work bench, tool cabinets, diagnostic machines, and a car lifter. The two look up and see a large shaft directly above the truck. More importantly, they see another metal door across the room. They both walk toward the door, which has a latch metal handle. Ron stops in front of it but Agent Du continues walking and reaches for the handle.

"Ah, aren't you going to scan for any alarms?" Ron asks Agent Du.

"There hasn't been any before this point and we're all ready in the structure. I don't see why there should be now." He turns the handle and opens the door. Suddenly, alarms start to blast throughout the structure.

"And that should have been a clue," Ron says with arms crossed against his chest as he glares at Agent Du.

_What the heck?_

In his darken bedroom he violently wakes up from his peaceful slumber and falls out of his bed hitting the floor hard while the blasting of alarms continues filling his room and his ears. He clasps his hands over his ears. "Lights," he yells. The room suddenly becomes illuminated.

_Wow that's loud! _

He sits up on the floor and then realizes the purpose of the alarms. _Wait, that's the intruder alert alarm. I have some uninvited guests._

He gets up and quickly puts on his black pants, shoes, long sleeve red polo shirt, and his black duster. He rushes out of his bedroom and into the room where he observed Kim on his multi-screened computer monitor, which is turned on and showing a split screen image. One shows Kim, who also has awakened from the alarms and the other shows Agent Du and Ron running down a metal staircase.

_So the mutant failed. Ron Stoppable is still kicking and now is here to save the love of his life. How romantic. To bad he'll fail. _

He moves over to the far wall, which has two red buttons imbedded into it. One is incased in glass, while the other is not. It is this latter button that he presses.

_And now he and Agent Du will have to deal with Hench's latest security system, which is thankfully user friendly. _

He then strolls to the monitor to see how Ron and Agent Du are dealing with the latest in villain lair security. To his disappointment, he sees the two continuing down the staircase undeterred. Then a grimace of frustration crosses his face as he just realizes a crucial point.

"I forgot to install the security defenses!" he angrily exclaims to himself. "I just had to save a few bucks and install it myself. Oh, I'll get around to it. Nobody's going to find me." He shakes his head as he continues to stare at his monitor. _Add to my arrogance the preoccupation with Possible and this is the result: me with intruders and no security defenses! They'll reach this room in a matter of minutes. Only one thing to do._

He makes his way back to the imbedded buttons and stares at the encased red one. _In case of emergency, break glass and blow up everything._

"Doesn't this guy have any security measures?" Agent Du asks as he and Ron, with Rufus on his shoulder, continue running down the flight of metal stairs in the long stair well while the wailing of alarms surrounds them.

"Maybe he forgot to install them," responds a gasping Ron.

Agent Du throws a skeptical look over his shoulder. "He's up to something."

"Look a door," Ron exclaims as he and Agent Du approach another metal door.

Agent Du peers over the railing and spots another door below him. He also notices immediately that it's at the bottom of the stair well. "You check this door while I check that one," he tells Ron, who turns around just in time to see Agent Du jump the railing.

Ron rushes over and looks over the railing just as Agent Du lands on his feet, opens the door, and quickly runs into the doorway. "Man's on a mission," Ron says to Rufus, "and so are we."

"Yeah," Rufus exclaims.

With one smooth motion, he back elbows the casing shattering the glass.

_With only two rooms to search, they'll find Possible but at least this will make it a little exciting._

He presses the button. Instantly, the images on his monitor disappear and are replaced with a countdown timer reading minutes, seconds, and milliseconds. It immediately begins to countdown from ten minutes.

_At least I didn't forget to install this. Time to make myself scarce._

He nonchalantly walks to a specific spot on the floor, a small, circular red marker. Reaching into his duster pocket, he pulls out a small black remote with two, small buttons, a red one and a white one. He presses the white button. Instantly, a hole forms beneath him and he falls through it.

Ron quietly opens the door, and he and Rufus peer inside. They see a grey colored, fairly illuminated hallway with a white wall at its end. Ron slowly enters it letting the door close itself behind him as the alarms continue blasting.

"Okay, this is weird," Ron says to Rufus as he stands in place while looking around at the bare hallway. Suddenly, the kimmunicator beeps and Ron reaches into his pocket, pulls it out, and answers it. "Wade, I'm in a hallway with no door. Well, except the one I entered but I know what's behind it already."

"No other door," Wade says more to himself as he ponders for a moment. "Ron, take out the sunglasses out of your backpack."

"Okay, one, I don't have sunglasses and two if I did I wouldn't wear them here. The lighting in here isn't that bright. It's not great but not too bright."

"Ron, you do have sunglasses and I want you to wear them because they may be able to help you see a hidden room."

"How do you figure there's a hidden room?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asks Wade. "A hallway with no other doors, there's got to be a hidden room."

"You know, maybe I walked into a rather narrow, but spacious soon to be walk in closet."

"Whatever you walked into, there has be something up with it. The sunglasses will definitely help."

"And what makes these sunglasses so special?" asks Ron. "Can they help me see through walls?"

"Yeah," Wade answers nonchalantly.

"Cool," Ron replies gleefully. Suddenly, Rufus, who has just searched Ron's backpack for the sunglasses, pops out of the backpack holding the sunglasses.

"Ha-ha," Rufus gleefully says as he raises the sunglasses triumphantly. He then hands them to Ron.

"Thanks, buddy," says Ron as takes them from Rufus and examines them closely. They appear like ordinary, black rimed sunglasses with polarized, mirror lens except for a small red button protruding from the right rim where it meets the right stem.

"These sunglasses have several modes of vision," informs Wade as Ron puts them on.

"Whoa!" Ron yells quickly taking them off and immediately blanks his eyes rapidly.

"Including night vision," Wade says apologetically. Ron sees bright spots and tries to grab them with his hand before they fade and his vision returns to normal. "Pressing the red button on the right rim should bring up the x-ray vision," Wade says.

Ron presses the button before he again puts the sunglasses back on. What he sees now is a light green background with the visible outline of the structure's metal skeleton as he slowly scans the walls. "There we go. Now let's see." He continues scanning until he comes to the white wall at the hallway's end. "What's this?" Ron sees an outline of an opening in the wall's middle along with the metal supports. He tilts his sunglasses down and looks at the wall and then pushes the sunglasses up and looks at the wall through them.

"What do you see?" asks Wade.

"Well, Wade," Ron says as he walks up to the wall and slowly slides his hand over the hidden door, "looks like today isn't one of those days where you're wrong." He then places the kimmunicator in his pocket and reaches into his pocket pulling out Kim's laser lipstick.

The door bursts open as Agent Du cautiously enters the well illuminated room. Alert for anything, he scans the room with his eyes and sees an assortment of chemistry glassware on a metal counter, another closed door, and a multi screened monitor sitting on a metal desk. He walks slowly toward the monitor and abruptly stops. His eyes widen in horror at the image on the screens of the monitor as he instantly realizes its meaning.

_Oh-no!_

He quickly rushes out of the room in search for Ron.

From shear exhaustion Kim had fallen asleep in her white, walled prison. She was dreaming she was back in her bedroom; safe from this mysterious man who holds her captive now. She could hear her mother call her name to come downstairs for breakfast. Still in her pajamas, she threw her blanket off her and headed down the stairs that led to her bedroom. She could smell the bacon and hear it shimmering in its own juices and hear her mother and father conversing about something she could not quite make out. She quickly bounded down the main stairs and was just about to enter the kitchen when the alarms blasted her out her dreams and back into her nightmare.

"What is going on?" Kim asks to herself as she sits up on her bed wide awake while the alarms continue to sing. She holds her hands to her ears trying to lessen the abuse the aggressive tones are inflicting upon her ears.

_Is this real or has my host decided to give me another "breather?" Man, I can't believe he used that line. Wait, those sound like intruder alert alarms. I should know because Ron and I have set off more than our fair share… well, Ron has._

Suddenly, sparks fly from the spot where the hidden door lies in the far wall and grab Kim's attention. The sparks continue to move down in a fairly straight line almost to the bottom.

_Someone's cutting through that door with a laser!_

"Hey, in here!" Kim yells trying to overcome the alarms' wailing but proves futile. She quickly gets off the bed and takes a few steps to the door never taking her eyes off the sparks as they move slowly parallel to the floor for a few feet before turning up toward the ceiling.

Hope builds within her. _Come on!_

Within a few seconds, the sparks finally reach their spot of origin but not before leaving a small path of melted metal forming a rectangular outline on the door. Within moments, a rectangular section of the door falls at Kim's feet like a dead man as the alarms abruptly stop, which go unnoticed by Kim. She just stares at her liberator and savior. A large smile forms on her face.

"Ron!" Kim shouts with joy.

"Kim!" Ron and Rufus exclaim in unison as Ron rushes over to Kim, but falls face first on the rectangular metal slab he has just cut out of the door. Kim turns away for an instant as grimace of pain flashes on her face. Ron pushes himself off the slab as Rufus hops onto the ground. "What's the point of a belt if it can't keep your pants from falling down?" Ron complains as he looks down at his pants, which hug his ankles. Suddenly, strong, slender, and feminine arms envelope him in a tight, firm hug. He closes his eyes and smiles as he returns the hug.

"Are you real?" Kim asks as she buries her face in his neck hoping that this is not a hallucination as well. "Are you really here?"

He pushes her slightly away in order to see her face, which he cups with one hand. "Of course I'm real." Kim cups his face with both hands and stares into his eyes as a few tears escape hers.

_This is real!_

Ron gently wipes them away with his hand while continuing to look into her face, locking his eyes with hers. "I'll always be here for you. I love you, Kim." Then, cupping her face with his hands, his lips slowly find hers. Each closes his and her eyes savoring the moment as though this would be the last. All their emotion and being are poured into the moment making it everlasting until they are interrupted by a familiar voice that snaps back to reality.

"Maybe another time would be better for that," says Agent Du as he sports a more serious look than usual while standing in front of the newly formed opening. Kim and Ron pull their lips apart and look up at Agent Du. "This place is going to blow!"

"What an unexpected twist?" Kim sarcastically says as she gets up before helping Ron to his feet.

Ron sees Agent Du giving him an awkward, uncomfortable look before heading down the hallway toward the exit. Ron then realizes his pants still remain wrapped around his ankles. "Ah, yeah, about the pants," Ron calls to Agent Du's back as he quickly pulls them up. "They fell down. I didn't… I mean I would never…"

"Ron, run now, awkward later," Kim says taking Ron's hand and leading him down the hallway as she quickly runs toward Agent Du, who holds the door open while sporting a now anxious, impatient, and concerned look. Rufus quickly runs toward Ron, who just finishes fastening his belt, and climbs up into Ron's pants' pocket as they all attempt to not make this lair their final resting place.


	10. Chapter 9

Their pounding feet hit the metal stairs as they head back toward the underground garage. Their hearts begin to pound faster with each step and each breath as the dread of this metal structure becoming their coffin creeps deeper into their minds with each passing second.

"How long do we have?" Kim loudly asks to Agent Du as she continues running up the stairs.

"I'm hoping a good fifty to sixty years," replies Ron as he runs behind Kim and ahead of Agent Du.

Agent Du looks at his wristwatch as he brings up the rear. "About six minutes," he answers.

"That's not good," says Ron.

"How much fur…" Kim asks before she stops herself from running into the door to the underground garage. "Never mind." Kim opens the door and holds it open for Ron and Agent Du, who quickly rush into the garage. Kim lets go of the door and continues right behind them.

"This way to the ladder," Ron says pointing to the first opening he created as he continues running.

Agent Du looks at his wristwatch. "We don't have enough time. We need to find another way out."

Kim stops and looks frantically around for any other way out. She notices the truck and then the opening above it. "The truck," she yells to Ron and Agent Du as she rushes over to it. Ron and Agent Du quickly follow. She looks up into the opening and spots the doors leading to the surface closed. "There must be a way to open those doors and start this lift," Kim says as she opens the truck's driver side door and looks inside. She sees a small panel with three buttons protruding from it on the truck's dashboard. Climbing in, she gets a closer look and sees the words open, close, and lift next to each button. "Spanking," she exclaims. "Guys I found it." She scoots over into the middle of the seat.

"Great," Ron says as he climbs into the truck and sits in front of the steering wheel, "press and let's go KP." He closes the driver side door.

"This is Agent Du," Agent Du says to all the other agents outside through his wrist communicator as he quickly walks in front of the truck and opens the passenger side door. "The building is going to explode. I repeat the building is going to explode. Get to a safe distance." He closes the door as he sits to Kim's right. "Okay, four minutes, let's get going."

Kim presses the button responsible for opening the shaft's doors. Nothing happens. She presses it again. Still, nothing happens. "Okay, this is bad," a concerned Kim says. Ron quickly pulls out the kimmunicator.

"Wade, a little help," Ron says. "We're in a building that's about to explode. We found a way out through a shaft in the garage but its doors aren't opening!"

"Where are the controls for the doors?" asks Wade.

"In the truck," Kim chimes in.

"You might have to start the truck in order to open those doors," informs Wade.

"We don't have the key," Agent Du says.

"Hey, we don't need a key," Ron says with a small smirk as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out Rufus. "We got him. If Rufus can program a VCR, then hotwiring this truck is cake. Right, Rufus?"

"Right," Rufus says. He then jumps down to the truck's floor and makes his way to a spot beneath the steering wheel.

"Excuse me, but let me get this straight," Agent Du says trying to get to grips with the concept. "That rodent is our only hope of getting out of here alive."

"Yes," Kim and Ron say in unison.

"I wonder if there'll be a lot of people at the memorial service," Agent Du says as his hope quickly deflates.

Rufus pulls out several wires and removes some of the plastic covering from two of them. He then brings the exposed wires together trying to get the starter going. The engine sputters, as if on the verge of starting but quickly dies. Rufus tries again. Still the same result. Sweat forms on Rufus' forehead as he tries starting the engine for the third time. The engine sputters before roaring to life. Rufus releases a huge sigh of relief before wiping his forehead.

"All right Rufus!" a wide eyed and excited Ron exclaims. Rufus jumps into Ron's pocket as Kim immediately presses the button that opens the doors. They hear a loud creaking of metallic joints moving above them as the doors part to expose the night air. She then presses the button to activate the lift. Immediately, the truck shakes as the lift beneath them slowly thrusts the truck upward.

"How much time do we have left?" Kim asks Agent Du. Concern laces her voice.

"Less than two minutes," replies Agent Du as he looks at his watch. Their hearts begin to beat rapidly as the lift continues to slowly propel them up to the street above. Patience wears thin with every passing second. "One minute." They see the night sky slowly crashing onto them while the scattered clouds relax in their stagnation. They can now smell the dissipating dampness of the air as they steadily but slowly reach the top. "Forty- five seconds."

Finally, the truck rises into a dirty alley next to the three story building.

"Thirty seconds," Agent Du says.

"Floor it, Ron," Kim shouts.

"Right," Ron says. He hits the gas hard and the engine revs with a roar, but they go nowhere. "There's something wrong. I'm giving it gas but it won't go." He begins to panic as he continues to press the gas pedal.

"That's because it's still in park," Kim yells.

"Oh, yeah," Ron says chuckling, "my bad." He reaches for the shift lever.

"Fifteen seconds," Agent Du exclaims in a panic.

Ron's fingers wrap around the shift lever. Kim suddenly notices that the engine is still revving. She looks down and sees Ron's foot on the gas pedal. "Ron, wait. Your foot's still…"

He pulls the shift lever down and puts the truck in drive. Instantly, they are violently thrown back into their seat as the truck rockets out of the allay way. "Building! Building! Building!" Agent Du frantically shouts while pointing at the building they head straight for. Ron turns the wheel hard to the right causing the truck to nearly tip over. Agent Du crashes into the passenger door while Kim collides with him. Ron then turns to the wheel to the left slightly to straighten the truck. Kim violently whips to her left and collides with Ron, who manages to keep his hands on the wheel. Agent Du crashes into Kim and sandwiches her between himself and Ron before the truck straightens allowing him to move back toward the passenger door. Kim bobs back to the middle.

Suddenly, a loud, thunderous boom fills the night sky as the brick building implodes and collapses onto itself floor by floor spewing dust and debris into the air. Ron stops the truck and looks into the driver side mirror along with Kim to witness the event. Agent Du looks into the passenger side mirror to do the same. They see the building fall like a house of cards until a plume of dust rises into the air. After a few moments, the dust settles and they see only the remains of the fallen building gathered in a huge pile of brick and mortar.

"A villain's lair imploding," says Kim. "That's kind of new."

Ron opens the driver side door and climbs out, followed by Kim while Agent Du exits the truck via the passenger side. Several agents begin to emerge from their places of refuge and gather around him like ants to a piece of cake that has fallen onto the ground. They too soak up scene of the building's devastation.

"Thank goodness this part of the city is deserted," comments one agent.

"All right," Agent Du says turning to face them. "Is everyone accounted for?"

"Yes sir," answers another agent. "You warned us just in time."

"Good," a relieved Agent Du says. "I want this area secured. Most likely, he escaped but we have to make sure. I'll inform Dr. Director about the situation and that we need a clean up and search crew." He reaches for his small hand held radio tucked away inside a compartment in his belt and begins to walk a short distance away before catching a glance at Kim and Ron. Ron has his arm wrapped around her shoulders while Kim wraps her arm around his waist and leans her head against his shoulder. _At least, something went right for a change._ He stops, turns on the radio and prepares himself to give a field report to Dr. Director.

"It's over," Ron says griping Kim tighter to him.

Kim remains silent. She just stares at the newly formed rubble as she loses herself in her thoughts. _What else would that psycho have done to me if Ron hadn't rescued me tonight? He wanted me to suffer, but why? What did I do to him? Did I even do anything?_

"A penny for your thoughts," Ron says to Kim.

"Huh?" Kim asks coming out of her thoughts. She turns to face him.

"Well, I would offer more but I'm kind of in a monetary hole," Ron replies, "for what seems like forever."

She offers a weak smile at his comment, glad to be with him again after a brief, but intense separation. "I was just wondering why he wanted me and why he…" She stops before completing her sentence. Turning back to the rubble, she develops a far off look, struggling whether to tell Ron what she endured. _Does he need to know? Do I even want to relive that ordeal again as I describe it to him? _

An inner battle also rages in Ron. _I know the answer to the first question. Now that it's over, should I tell her? Yes! She deserves to know why The Artist wanted her and what he put her… Oh my gosh! He must have started breaking her as soon as he placed her in that room! Oh Man! Wait… _He searches his memory of their recent reunion. Every action, every comment, he relives and replays.

Kim notices Ron in deep thought. _Something's up. _"Ron?"

"Why did you ask if I was real?" Ron asks finally ending his mental search.

"What?" Kim asks.

"When I found you," Ron says with concern, "you asked if I was real. Why? What happened in there? What did he put you through?"

Kim stares at him for a moment and closes her eyes. _I have to tell him. _She takes a deep breath, preparing herself to relive her ordeal. _Here goes. _"Ron…"

"Miss Possible," Agent Du says interrupting Kim, "Dr. Director wishes to speak with you at GJ headquarters and allow the medical staff to look you over."

"Can it wait till like tomorrow?" asks Kim.

"It's rather urgent."

"Well, I'm totally way past my curfew already," Kim says with a shrug. She then realizes her parents must be worried sick. "Oh my gosh, my parents. They must be beyond freaking right now."

"No worries KP. I told them what's up." Ron reassures her before a look of horror develops on his face. "Ah, man. I forgot to tell my parents that I was going out to find you when Wade got a location. I called them before I talked to your parents and they gave me 'the call to inform us where you're going or where you are so we don't worry' talk. And I didn't do that. I am so dead!"

"I'm sure they'll understand," Kim reassures him.

"So they won't ground me?" Ron asks with a weak smile.

"Oh, you are so grounded," Kim says.

"Ah, if you two are done," Agent Du impatiently interjects.

"Oh right," Kim says. "Let's get this over with. Come on, Ron." Agent Du reaches into his belt and pulls out his RCM. Pressing the button, a black GJ hover jet with red undercoating appears overhead and stops directly above them. Doors on its bottom open and a cable drops down. Agent Du grabs it and waits for Kim and Ron.

"Not again," Ron says as he and Kim each place a firm hold on the cable, which immediately recoils pulling them rapidly up toward the hover jet. "Ahhhhhhh!" screams Ron. He once again ends up on the floor of a hover jet while Kim and Agent Du land with gracefully elegance onto their feet. Once they're inside, the doors close and Agent Du makes his way to the cockpit. Kim offers her hand to Ron, who gladly accepts it, and helps Ron to his feet. "You'd think they would have a better way to get on these things," Ron says.

Kim just smiles. "We better strap into our seats."

They quickly make their way to the red plush passenger seats situated behind the pilot and copilot seats and buckle their seatbelts right before Agent Du pushes the throttle. Pilot and passengers feel the force of the jet's acceleration as they are pushed back into their seats for a few seconds then bounce back to a comfortable position. Besides the hum of the engine, silence fills the next few minutes. Agent Du gives his undivided attention to the task at hand, namely fly back to GJ headquarters. His passengers, on the other hand, wage a small battle within themselves.

_Should I ask again? _Ron takes a quick glance at Kim, who stares at the floor. _Should I press on with why she asked if I was real? _He turns quickly away when Kim glances up at him.

_He wants to ask again. _She turns away and stares straight ahead. _I want to tell him but… _She bites her lower lip.

_The artist must have done some totally awful things to her. If only I was with her. She would be home in bed right now. _Ron's face holds a downcast expression. _Why her? I mean she's a hero, a good person. She did nothing to deserve whatever he did to her. _He closes his eyes and clenches his fists holding down the building anger. _If he still is alive, he deserves what's coming to him._

Kim glances back at Ron and immediately sees his closed eyes. She looks down and notices his clenched fist. She reaches over with her hand and gently engulfs his fist nearest to her. Ron feels her hand and opens his eyes. Looking down at her hand laying on his, he slowly loosens his fingers under her gentle pressure. She then works her fingers into his ever opening hand until each holds the other's hand. He looks up and locks his eyes with hers, which simultaneously express relief and turmoil. He also sees their light, bright as ever. The dark fog of anger growing within him begins to dissipate and break up as her light continues to shine into him. In the void left by the fog, a peace settles in.

"Ron, it's all right," Kim says in a soothing tone.

"It's just that right now all I want to do is hurt him right back for whatever he did to you."

Kim just continues to stare into his eyes. She sees the remains of his anger lingering within them. _I'm going to tell him. _"Ron…" She takes a deep breathe. "Ron, he injected me with some kind of nanotechnology that allowed him to inflict intense pain on me." She stops to see his reaction. He continues to stare at her. The anger begins to grow within him again. She squeezes his hand, reassuring him that she's okay. "He then released some freaky gas that made me see… and feel things that seemed so real. That is why I asked if you were real. I didn't know whether you were another hallucination or not."

"Now I really want to lay a hurting on him," Ron says in a controlled, angry tone.

"Ron, it's over," Kim says. "You saved me."

Ron softens once again. "I'm just… I'm just so glad that…"

"I know, Ron," Kim says. "I know." They continue to stare at each other, their hands still clasped. Slowly, they lean in toward each other with eyes locked. Then they close in as they get closer and closer together.

"We're ten minutes away from GJ headquarters," Agent Du says interrupting the moment. Kim and Ron stop their progress.

"Ah, man," a disappointed Ron says to the back of the pilot's chair. "Dude, you have such the worst timing." Kim then quickly plants a quick kiss on Ron's cheek. Startled, Ron just turns to Kim. He just smiles at her.

"Put these on," Agent Du says handing them two black blindfolds while keeping his eyes on the very late night sky. Kim and Ron take one each.

"Definitely, cloak and dragger," Kim says.

"Just standard procedure, Possible," Agent Du says.

Two blocks away from the implosion, in the dust covered basement of another abandoned building, a trapdoor flies open and a slightly annoyed brown haired man in a black duster climbs out of hidden shaft. He stands up, turns around to the trapdoor, and slams it shut, releasing some of his frustration before he begins to pace back and force berating himself.

"I had her. I had her and I lost her." He shakes his head. "You were overconfident. You thought you would never be discovered. Well, guess what? You were." He stops and a grimace of frustration crosses his face as his insidious mind just develops an insipid idea. "Man… that would have been so sweet to do on her! I could have done that and really done some damage!" He once again paces. "I'll make a metal note of that one. Right now, I have to think of another way to mess with her. Three years of planning and preparation, and it ends this easily and this quickly. I don't think so. I have to strike while the iron is hot… or some other expression that means hurry before you lose this opportunity. Deep down she probably thinks I'm not gone but she won't expect a second act to this little production of mine right away. GJ might, but, if I hurry, they won't be able to stop me. They still don't know what I look like, so I got that going for me." He stops pacing once again. "Perhaps a more direct approach will be appropriate since I don't have much time… and I just imploded my lair. So to further mess with her, I'm going to have to go with Plan B, B as in by the seat of my pants."

He walks to a metal cabinet, the only article of furniture in the room, and opens its doors. Inside resides a hand held black tranquilizer gun carrying a single cartilage containing five darts, a lone capped syringe filled with a transparent liquid, a small plastic container, and a small black remote. He carefully places the syringe into the plastic container, which he then places into his duster's inside pocket. He takes the hand held tranquilizer gun and places it into his right duster pocket while taking the remote and placing it in his left duster pocket. He closes the cabinet's doors and walks back to the trapdoor. He stoops down, opens it, and climbs down the shaft, back into the darkness.


	11. Chapter 10

_What is taking so long?_

Kim, sitting Indian style on top of a medical bed in GJ's sickbay, waits for the results of her blood work. She sighs as the minutes tick by.

_This wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't wearing this gown. _

She hears the sounds of approaching footsteps, and her eyes widen with hope and anticipation.

_Yes! Soon I'll be home in my own bed and…_

The metal doors swing open and weary Ron steps in. With her hopes dashed, she gives a disappointed sigh, and an annoyed, impatient expression fills her countenance. Ron immediately notices Kim's disappointment.

"Well, happy to see you too," Ron jeers. He pulls a metal stool over to her bed and plops down on it. He slumps in the stool barely able to keep his eyes open.

"Sorry," Kim says still sporting her annoyed expression and failing to notice his weary demeanor. "I just want to go home. The doctor said it wouldn't take long to develop the results."

"Maybe, there are other patients?" Ron says while fighting the temptation to sleep. He begins to experience the withdrawal of the adrenalin he has been living on since Kim's abduction. Now, with Kim safe and morning approaching, his body begins to steadily lose its futile battle against the forces of sleep.

"Hello!" Kim yells gesturing to the empty sickbay. Rufus, startled by her yell, jumps out of Ron's pocket and unto the floor while a now wide eyed Ron almost falls off his stool.

"Ah, I'm not deaf KP," Ron says as he readjusts himself on the stool, "at least not before that outburst." Sleep again continues its onslaught on him gaining more ground.

"Yeah," Rufus says glaring at Kim as he climbs up onto the bed.

"Sorry," Kim says once again. "It's just that this night has been nothing but bad. Sure I was in the clutches of a guy who just wants to make me suffer for… whatever. Then I'm asked to come here where I get a free physical. Remind me to thank GJ for that by the way. Then the doctor sticks me, gets my blood, and says it won't take very long."

"How long has it been?" Ron asks barely able to remain conscious.

"An hour and a half," Kim replies. "And to make this night so perfect, I'm sitting here wearing nothing but a hospital gown."

"Really?" Ron asks as sleep breaks his defenses and conquers him. With eyes closed, he drops his head and surrenders peacefully to sleep.

"So, what did your parents say?" Kim asks obvious to the now sleeping Ron.

"Monkey, no touch," Ron mumbles in his sleep.

"Oh that's… Wait! What?" Kim turns to Ron and finds him asleep.

_He's been up all night, worried about me. Nice going Kim. Here you are complaining about being kept late while Ron is the one who needs to go home and get some sleep. At least you got some sleep. _

She looks down at her mattress and notices Rufus asleep on the bed. She gently lifts Rufus up and places him on top of her pillow and gently stokes Rufus' back, which produces a content sigh from Rufus. Kim then climbs off the bed and lifts Ron onto it, being carefully not to wake him. Once on the bed, Ron turns on his side and continues sleeping. Kim pulls the stool toward the pillow end of the bed and just looks directly into Ron's peaceful face. She gently brushes his hair with her fingers before leaning in and planting a soft kiss on his forehead producing a small smile on Ron's face. Kim then just sits and watches Ron and Rufus sleep while she waits for the test results. Only this time, the peace of Ron's face infects Kim producing a happier and peaceful disposition that replaces her sour one from earlier.

Dr. Director stands outside the doorway watching the two and a small smile forms on her face. She then turns around just in time to see the medical doctor, a black man dressed in black pants, white sneakers, a light blue dress shirt, and white lab coat, walking down the hall toward her and the sickbay.

"Do you have the test results?" Dr. Director asks.

"Yes I do," replies the doctor. "I'm going in to tell her now."

"Good, she has expressed some concerns about getting back home."

"This will only take a few minutes. Then she can go home." He pauses. "I still am worried about the effects of the gas she was exposed to."

"She says her exposure was limited to a few minutes."

"It's just that I found some trace amounts of an unknown substance in her blood. Now it's a cause for some concern but nothing to get worked up about, at least not yet. I say this only because I don't know what the major components of that gas were."

"What about those nanobots?"

"With no active signal, they've shut down and her immune system is taking care of them. She should be nanobot free in a few days."

"Good," Dr. Director says with a nod. "I won't keep you any longer." She then walks up the hall heading back to the command center.

The doctor walks into the sickbay, prepared to tell Kim the same thing he has just told Dr. Director. "Hello, Miss Possible," says the doctor as he walks in. He grabs another metal stool, picks it up, and places it a few feet away from Kim before sitting on it. "Sorry for the wait. I can imagine you want to go home. You had quite an ordeal." He just glances at Ron, who has turned on his back, for an instant before turning his attention back to Kim.

"So what's the sitch?" Kim asks.

"Well, the… sitch is, based on your physical, you are in fine health."

"And the test results?" Kim asks eagerly.

"Almost nothing out of the ordinary," replies the doctor.

"Almost?" Kim asks raising an eyebrow. _This can't be good._

"Well, the nanobots in your system are inactive now and your body's natural defenses are taking care of them as we speak. You should be nanobot free in a matter of days."

_But wait there's more. _"There's more isn't there?" Kim asks knowing the answer.

The doctor gives her the most reassuring smile he can produce. "At this point I'm not very concern, but a small trace of an unknown substance was detected in your blood. Now I can only assume it's from the gas you were exposed to. Without knowing what the gas was specifically, I can't tell you what the after effects might be if there are any. You were only exposed, at least to your knowledge, for a few minutes. The amount is so small that I wouldn't get all jumpy about. However, if you do experience anything such as headaches, or even another hallucination, I want you to get yourself back here so we can monitor the situation."

"I'll do that, Doctor Hart," Kim says offering a weak smile. She rubs her neck with her hand while preparing to ask a crucial question. "Ahmmm… Doctor?"

"Yes," Doctor Hart says leaning forward with concern. "Is your neck hurting you?"

"No," Kim says, "I just want to know if I can have my clothes back. I mean this gown, though lovely and roomy as it is, isn't something I would like to walk home in at…" She looks at the large, rectangular digital clock hanging on the wall. "Three in the morning," she says with a smile before realizing how late it is or early depending on your point of view. "Three in the morning," she says. "Oh wow."

Doctor Hart calms down and readjusts his position on the stool. "Yes… your clothes right." He gets up from the stool. "I'm check if the lab is finished with them. I'll be right back." Doctor Hart quickly walks out through the swinging metal doors and takes a right before disappearing down the hall.

Kim watches him until he disappears. She then turns around and fondly faces a sleeping Ron and Rufus again. A smile crosses her face. _My boys, my brave boys. _She again reaches over and gently brushes Ron's hair.

"Never leave you, Kim," Ron mumbles in his sleep.

Kim leans forward and brings her lips a few inches from his ear. "Ditto," she quietly whispers before planting another gentle kiss, this time, on his cheek.

Doctor Hart returns carrying a bundle of folded clothes with him. "Here you are Miss Possible." He places the bundle at the foot of a nearby. He then smiles before quietly exiting the sickbay.

"Did they find anything?" Kim asks to the retreating form of Doctor Hart.

He stops and turns around just a foot away from the swinging metal doors. "No," he simply says before exiting the sickbay.

Kim gets up from the stool and quietly makes her to her neatly folded clothes. She unfolds her black shirt and examines it. _What do you know? They cleaned it. _She smells it. "Mmmm, lemony fresh," Kim quietly says to herself with a surprise expression. She then looks at her sleeping boys.

_I'll let them sleep a few more minutes before waking them up. But first, I'll need to get some answers. _

She pulls the opaque curtain hanging next to the bed around. Safely behind the curtain, she removes her gown and dresses into her freshly cleaned mission clothes before quietly exiting the sickbay and making her way to the command center.

"Report, Agent Du," Dr. Director orders while facing a real time image of Agent Du appearing on the huge view screen inside the command center.

"The clean up is slow," reports Agent Du, who had returned to the site of the implosion after bringing Kim and Ron to GJ headquarters. "We won't get to what remains of the underground lair until late morning or early afternoon, but I doubt we'll find him here."

"Agreed," replies Doctor Director. "Still, we need to confirm."

"And when we confirm what we already suspect, what then?" asks Agent Du.

"We'll come to that bridge when we cross it, agent. In the meantime, I'm going to place some agents outside Kim's house."

"You think he'll go after her?"

"This is the first time he has failed. He might not take it very well and try to finish what he started. I want all bases covered."

"So, it's true then," a voice says from behind Doctor Director. She turns around and sees a very peeved Kim standing in front of the command center's doors. "Your ears do burn when someone talks about you behind your back," Kim says walking deeper into the command center. "Then again, it might be a side effect of the gas I was exposed to. Maybe if someone warned me about some nut job who tortures people just for kicks, I might not have this burning sensation in my ears. Wait… no I think this burning sensation is due more to my major peevedness that I wasn't warned in the first place." Kim stops a few feet short of Doctor Director crossing her arms and throwing an angry glare at her.

Doctor Director turns to Agent Du's image on the view screen. "I'll call you back." His image clicks off. She then turns back to Kim. "So, Ron told you everything we told him."

"No he didn't," Kim says still glaring a hole into the older woman.

"Wade?" asks Doctor Director.

"No."

"Then, how did you…"

"It doesn't take a genius to know that you're after this guy. Why… I don't know. But you knew he existed and you knew I was his major target. I got that much from overhearing you and Mr. Personality's conversing about little old me just now. I just came down here to ask what you know about this guy." She pauses as a few memories from her ordeal pop into her head, but quickly brushes them away. "Now I'm no longer asking. I'm demanding."

"I understand," Doctor Director says sincerely.

"You understand?" Kim asks offended. "How could you possibly understand what I went through tonight? Were you tortured too?"

"No, I wasn't," replies Doctor Director, "but three of my agents were." She looks Kim right in the eyes. "This isn't just an organization devoted to safeguarding the world and its inhabitants. This is a family." Silence begins to fill the command center as one by one every person halts what they are doing and just watches and listens attentively to their leader. "And when someone threatens any member of this family I'll do whatever it takes to make him or her pay. I'm sorry for what you've been through tonight but be thankful it was only a few hours. All three of my agents spent months with this monster. I knew each of them. And then to see…" She chokes up as her uncovered eye starts to water. She takes a hard shallow before continuing. "Can you understand what it's like to see people you know, you care for get violated the way they were? I wasn't going to have any more of my agents get picked off by this… man and tortured until there's almost nothing left, at least nothing you can recognize. I used you as bait and I am truly sorry, but I saw it as the best chance to capture the Artist."

By now, all eyes present fall onto the two women whose emotional states make them oblivious to this fact.

"I understand about protecting the ones you love," Kim says. Her voice softens but her eyes stay hard. "I understand that and I, too, am sorry, very sorry for what happened to your agents… to this family. I understand why you did what you did, but I can't forgive it… not yet…if ever." She then turns around and heads back to the sickbay.

Doctor Director watches her leave and stares at Kim's retreating back for a few moments before realizing the deafening silence surrounding her. She looks at, one by one, every person in the room. Slowly, everyone returns to their suspended tasks, more determined and zealous than ever to complete them -- not for glory or praise, not for a good mark on their next evaluation, not even for some sense of pride and self justification. They do it for her, and for each other, not wanting to fail both.

Doctor Director addresses a black haired young white man at a nearby computer station, "Agent Reed."

"Yes, Doctor," the agent replies eagerly as he swivels in his chair and stands up at attention.

"I want you and Agent Richards to watch Miss Possible but do it as discretely as you can."

Nodding, Agent Reed quickly goes in search of Agent Richards as another agent quickly takes Agent Reed's place at the vacant computer station. Doctor Director turns to the blank view screen and stares at it while lost in her thoughts.

_He's out there somewhere. All we can do is wait. It's still his game and it's his move. _

As the night slowly dies giving birth to a new morning, an ordinary white van covered with a few rust spots here and there travels down an empty highway leading into a still sleeping city. The van swerves a little out of its lane as the buckled driver simultaneously tries to read a map and drive.

"Hmmm, let's see. Ah… "

The outlines of a few buildings come into viewing distance but the driver is oblivious to it, as he struggles to make sense of the map.

"North, south… Ahhhh! The heck with this."

He tries to fold the map back up but utterly fails as the van swerves into the other lane. The driver finally throws the map into a lump onto the passenger seat in frustration. He turns his attention back to the road just in time to be blinded by the highlights of an on coming eighteen-wheeler. His eyes grow wide as the honking of the truck's horn fills his ears.

"Ahhhhh!" he screams turning the wheel hard to his right. The van almost tips over as it narrowly evades the barreling eighteen-wheeler and momentarily gets back onto the right lane before veering off the road. "Ahhhh!" he screams hitting the brakes as he sees a large, wooden sign directly in his path. Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, he feels the impact as his van collides with the sign and runs it over. He drives his foot on the brakes hard, and, eventually, the van comes to a complete stop. After a few seconds, the driver slowly opens his eyes. He sighs and waits for a few moments to collect himself before placing the van in park. He reaches over to his glove box, opens it, and digs out a flashlight. He then slowly climbs out of the van before turning on the flashlight. The van's engine hums in the background as he walks over to check its front end. He sees a few scratches and a hand size dent on the hood. Satisfied and grateful that the damage appears minimal, he walks over to the sign.

The sign, with a painted message in reflective red paint and now noticeable tire tracks on it, lies on the ground. The man walks around it, and he stands over it. Aiming his flashlight at the sign, he reads the message out loud to himself. "Welcome to Middleton."

A smile soon develops on his face. "Looks like I finally arrived."


	12. Chapter 11

"I really need some sleep," Ron says as he and Kim walk down a sidewalk toward her house. "I'm becoming delirious. I'm starting to smell lemons!"

"That's me, Ron," Kim says. "GJ's lab cleaned my clothes after they analyzed them for... whatever."

"Did they find anything?"

"They didn't say," Kim replies as her tone hardens, "which seems to be the current policy over there."

"Yeah, Wade and I share in your tweakness about that," says Ron with half closed eyes. He feels like the walking dead.

"Ron, you don't have to walk me home," Kim says with concern at Ron. "You should go home. You can barely stand let alone walk. I can manage getting home by myself."

"KP, I made a promise to your parents that I would bring you back to them and I intend to keep that promise," Ron says in a serious tone before softening again. "Then I will collapse onto your living room floor moments later."

Kim smiles and gently slips her left hand into his right as they continue walking down the sidewalk. They walk for a few minutes in silence before Kim breaks it. "Ron?"

"Yeah, KP," answers Ron.

"What did Dr. Director tell you about this guy? Why does he want with me?"

Ron remains silent for a moment before speaking. He has an uncomfortable look on his face. "Ah… do you really want to…" Kim stops walking while still holding on to Ron's hand compelling him to speak. She looks him directly in his eyes with an intensity that instantly answers his question. He takes a deep, collecting breath.

"Okay. They don't know why he does his… oh what's a good way to say this… seriously disturbing and wrong sick hobby. On a scale of one to ten on the positively insane meter… they think he's about an eleven."

"I don't know about an eleven but the insanity part I'll agree with. So why do they call him the Artist?"

"When they found the missing agents, they each had a note on them that referred to their messed up conditions as his art. The last agent had a note that said his next would be his greatest."

Ron and the world around him suddenly stop. _It almost happened tonight. _He stares at her in a worried daze. _She would have been his greatest piece. He would have done who knows what to her._

As if she could read his thoughts, Kim reassures and comforts him. "Ron, it's okay." She pulls him into a hug which slowly brings him back to her. He reciprocates her gesture. "You saved me, Ron." They stay like this for a few moments before pulling apart. She smiles at him. "You don't have to say the rest. I can fill in the blanks but it still doesn't explain why he would choose me."

"You're Kim Possible, famous teen hero. You've help lots of people and put away as many, if not more, bad guys. Maybe this guy was one of those guys you put away?"

"It could be possible but I doubt it. I didn't get the whole revenge vibe from him. He didn't even gloat about his brilliant plan, capturing me, or give the dramatic 'it was I' moment by revealing himself and telling me how I ruined his life and that he will finally, after years of carefully planning, have his revenge."

"So, what then? Why? It can't be just I had nothing better to do. Cause if it is, then this guy is seriously whacked."

Kim ponders a minute before realizing she and Ron are standing in the middle of the sidewalk at close to four in the morning. "Maybe this isn't the time or the place to have this conversation."

Ron comes to the same realization. "Oh yeah. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow when it's not morning and we have sleep. My brain should be working by then."

"Should be?" Kim asks playfully as a small smile forms on his face.

Ron delivers to Kim a slightly annoyed but other wise good natured glare. "Funny."

"I try," she says with a shoulder shrug. Kim takes Ron's hand and leads him to her house. "Come on, we better hurry before you fall asleep on the sidewalk."

Ron groans reluctant to continue walking. "More walking? Couldn't you just carry me? I mean you are freakishly strong for a girl your size."

Kim turns around and raises an eyebrow at him. "I don't think so. You can make it. I have no doubts."

Ron sighs submitting to Kim's gentle tugging and begins to walk, with a little dragging on her part, behind her. "All right but if I collapse; you're still going to have to carry me."

Kim tosses him a playful smile. "We'll see."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean we'll see."

"If I collapse because of sleep depravation on this sidewalk right now, you're telling me you'll just leave me here!"

"No, I said we'll see."

"And I know what that means."

"Ron."

You would leave me here alone on this dark..."

"Ron."

"… lonely…"

"Ron."

"…uncomfortable…"

"Ron!" Kim shouts. "We're here."

Ron stops his littlemelodrama and stands slightly surprise as the Possibles' front door looms over him. "Oh. So we are."

Kim lets go of his hand and climbs up the step. She reaches for the door knob when it suddenly bursts open and two sets of arms wrap themselves around her.

"Kim, thank goodness you're all right!" Mrs. Possible exclaims.

"Young lady, we were so worried," Mr. Possible says as he kisses the top of Kim's head.

They tighten their grip on their daughter, fearful that she would be taken from them if they let go of her.

"Mom, Dad," Kim manages to say through their tighten grip, "air please."

"Oh sorry Kimmie cub," Mr. Possible says quickly letting go of his daughter. Mrs. Possible follows suit.

"It just that we…"

"I know mom,"

"Well Ronald, looks like you kept your…" Mr. Possible says to Ron before noticing Ron's head lowered, chin almost touching his chest, and eyes closed. It becomes clear that, while still standing, Ron has fallen asleep.

"Poor Ron," says Mrs. Possible. "I'll call his parents and tell them that maybeit's better that he sleepsin the den until he's well rested." She looks at Kim. "You look like you need some sleep as well."

"Definitely," says Kim.

"Honey, could you bring Ron inside and bring him into the den. I'll get it ready for him while you, Kim, head straight to bed."

"Can do, dear," says Mr. Possible. He steps out of the house while Kim, with her mother's arm around her, walks into the house. "All right Ron," says Mr. Possible as he lifts Ron off the ground, "time to go to bed." He looks at the young man's face. "And thank you for bringing our daughter back home."

With that he carries Ron into the house, and heads for the den. He places him onto the couch while Mrs. Possible walks into the den carrying ared blanket.

"Mom, I can do that," Kim says behind Mrs. Possible. She walks toward her mother.

Turning around, Mrs. Possible smiles and hands her the blanket. "All right Kim, but I want you to go straight to bed. I'll call Ron's parents."

Kim watches her leave before she turns to Ron sleeping soundly on the couch and walks over. She places the blankets onto the couch's armrest and kneels down next to the couch. She reaches into Ron's pocket and gently pulls out a sleeping Rufus and gently lays him on the armrest. Moving at a deliberate pace of slowness, she unfolds the blanket and lays it softly on top of Ron. She stares at his face, gently leans over, and kisses him softly on his lips.

"Goodnight, Ron." She gets up and quietly begins to exit the den. She stops and turns around as she reaches for the light switch. "I love you," she whispers before the den lights go out.

"Love you," Ron says softly in his sleep as he turns on his side in the darkness.

"Agent Reed, report," orders Dr. Director.

"Miss Possible and Mr. Stoppable have reached the Possible residence without incident," reports Agent Reed's voice through the speakers in the GJ command center. "She did not seem to be aware of our presence."

"Most likely she was, Agent Reed," responds Dr. Director. "That's why she allowed you to follow her. Now, keep your eyes and ears open."

"Understood," says Agent Reed's voice before ending his transmission.

The young fair skinned, red hair man sits at the counter of Big Al's gas station reading The Truth Seeker, a tabloid magazine that reports on the fantastic, the unbelievable, and the outrageous.

_Monkey man runs in horror from horrid gorilla female type creature. What can scare a monkey man? This can. _He looks at the picture ofa mutated woman with a gorilla body. "Whoa," he says, "sick and wrong." _Reports from various witnesses in the Congo describe the monkey man, who apparently has an English accent, screaming for help while the gorilla creature chases him in a manner that can only be described as strange and bizarre. It seems that the creature, who also speaks English, has a romantic interest in the monkey man calling him "Monty," "Sweetpea," "Cuddle puppy," and "Honey bunny."_

The young man shakes his head. "Who makes this stuff up?" He continues to read on as a white ordinary van possessing freckles of rust and a small, but noticeable dent on its hood pulls into the gas station and stops along side the gas pumps. A dark haired man wearing a black duster gets out and begins to pump gas into the van. After five minutes, the man stops pumping, screws the van's gas cap back in, places the nozzle back in its gas pump slot, and walks into the store. He stops just past the doors and scans the store before quietly heading for the counter and the young man.

_Turn page for an artist rendition of what the offspring of these creatures, which break the laws of nature and man, would look like. _He turns the page. "Ahhh!" screams the young clerk, which in turn startles the man in a duster.

"Ahhhh!" the man in a duster screams grabbing his chest. He takes a few breaths.

"Oh, sorry man," apologizes the clerk. "I didn't know you…"

"It's all right," the man says calming down. _What a morning!_ "Did I scare you or…"

"What? Oh no. It wasn't you. It's this drawing in this magazine." The clerk shows the rendition to the man.

"Whoa!" exclaims the man. He turns his head while the clerk closes the magazine and lays it on the counter. The man, after composing himself, picks up the tabloid and reads another headline from the cover out loud.

"'Mutant fish boy captured by secret law enforcement organization; exclaims revenge on squid'" He looks quizzically at the young man. "You don't actually believe in this stuff do you?" The man places it back on the counter.

"No. I just read it to past the time and for laughs… or in the monkey man case… to scare the heck out of me a little." The man in the duster smiles back. "Just paying for gas?"

"Yeah," says the man. He hands the clerk a wad of bills.

"That's a lot of gas for a van like that," says the clerk as he takes the wad of bills and places it in the cash register. "Do you have some extra gas tanks in the back or something?"

"Ah yeah… extra tanks… in the back. Thanks. Have a good day." The man turns toward the doors and exits the store.

The clerk picks up the tabloid. "You too, man." He continues his reading.

The man climbs back into his van. _By now little Kimmie's tuck in bed. I'll let her sleep. She'll need her rest. _He buckles his seatbelt and starts the van. _After all, it will be her last opportunity to have a good rest for a long time._


	13. Chapter 12

Upon opening her eyes, a blinding light from above blinds her, and she reflexively closes them again as a grimace of pain fills her countenance. She attempts to grab her slightly throbbing head with her hand, but something holds it down.

_What?_

She looks down and sees a leather strap wrapped around her wrist. She quickly feels a hard surface pressed against her back.

_I'm lying on a metal slab!_

She tries to move her legs and other arm only to find out that they too are strapped to the metal slab with leather straps. Wearing her blue sweats, and tank top with the yellow smiling face, she struggles to free herself.

"You know, it's useless to struggle," a voice from overhead says.

She stops her struggling as she quickly recognizes the voice. "You!" she exclaims with widen eyes.

"Yes me. Did you really think I was gone? I thought you were smarter than that. Then again you probably just convinced yourself that I was gone. Deep down, you knew better. You knew better then to think you were safe in your home, tucked nice and cozy in your bed, surrounded by your loved ones. Yes, you knew better."

"What do you want with me?" she yells in frustration. "Why are you doing this to me?" She continues to struggle against her constraints. Desperation starts to grow within her. _I have to get out! I have to get out!_

"You know the rules. I ask the questions. You answer. Now, who are you?"

"I'm not playing this game!" Something in her, something she rarely experiences in her life, begins to grow. It shoots out its tentacles from her mind's darkness and slowly wraps them around her soul. She can feel it squeezing the peace, the calm, and the hope right out of her. She feels it begin to worm its way into the void, spread throughout her being, and take a relentless, unyielding hold on her. She knows what it is. It's fear.

"Oh, Kimmie… you chose to play this game a long time ago. This is just a consequence of that choice. Now, I'll take your last comment as your answer to my question. And guess what… not the answer I was looking for."

Instantly, an intense, excruciating pain shoots throughout her entire body like rabid electricity. She does what she can only do. She screams.

"Ahhhhhh!" Kim screams as she abruptly sits up in her bed breathing heavily.

_It was all a dream, the standard cliché nightmare after an intense ordeal. _

With her head pulsing, she tries to calm herself but her heart continues to beat rapidly, almost on the verge of exploding in her chest. She closes her eyes and controls her breathing. Taking deep, calming breaths, her heart begins to slow down. The pulsing in her head soon fades and, after a few moments, she opens her eyes.

The light from the early afternoon sun pours in through her bedroom window, resting upon her telescope, her computer, her chest, and her bed. She stares at her window before throwing off her blanket and walking to it. Wrapping her arms around herself, she stands there and allows the sunlight to warm herself.

"Kim, are you awake?" asks her mother, who sticks her head up into Kim's bedroom door located in the floor and notices her daughter standing at her window. "Kim, are you all right?" Mrs. Possible climbs up the remaining stairs entering her daughter's bedroom and making her way to Kim. She stands beside her daughter, who seems to not have noticed her mother's presence, with a worried expression on her face. "Kim?" calls Mrs. Possible as she places her hand on Kim's shoulder. Kim, now fully aware of her mother's presence, slowly turns to her mother with a blank look. "Do you want to talk about it, Kim?"

"I'm fine," Kim replies.

"That isn't what I asked dear," Mrs. Possible says.

"What? Oh… ah… no, no I don't." She sees her mom's worried expression and offers a weak smile. "Not right now."

"Okay, Kim," says Mrs. Possible, who does not want to push her daughter. _When she's ready._ "Come on, lunch is ready."

"Is Ron still here?" asks Kim.

"No, he left a few minutes ago. He asked me to tell you that he will be back as soon as he can. He then remarked that it may be a while, depending on his parents' reaction. I told him not to worry. I'm sure they understand that he had other things on his mind and forgot to call them." She pauses. "Oh and he asked me to give you this." Mrs. Possible then gives her daughter a huge hug. Kim gladly reciprocates it.

After a few moments, they pull apart. "He's so sweet," remarks Kim.

"Yes, he is," confirms Mrs. Possible.

"So… lunch."

Smiling, Mrs. Possible wraps her arm around her daughter's shoulders and walks her down toward the kitchen.

"Man, Kim's parents should really replace that couch in the den," Ron says to Rufus, who's perched on Ron's shoulder, while holding his lower back as he walks home. "That lump of springs… yeah more like a rock… a hard rock… pressed against my back the entire night. If I wasn't so tired, I would have move to the more comfortable place such as the floor… or maybe the stairs."

"Poor Ron," Rufus says patting Ron's cheek.

"When we get home, I'm going to apply the heating pad for a while… like a week." Ron continues to walk home, which now is only a few minutes away. "Maybe two."

Ron soon reaches his house and quickly enters it, failing to notice the white van parked across the street.

"Mom… Dad, I'm home," Ron calls to his parents as he walks into the living room and immediately sees his parents sitting motionless on the couch. "Oh, there you are." Ron quietly approaches them and sees them peacefully sleeping. _That's weird! It's one in the afternoon and Mom and Dad are asleep._ Looking around, a strange circular, metallic object on the coffee table catches his attention. He reaches over to and brings it up so that he and Rufus can examine it more closely. "What do you think this is?"

"It's a gas dispersion device," says a voice behind Ron.

"Really," Ron remarks, "I would have guessed it was some sort of funky looking paper weight…" Ron stops and, realizing he is not alone, turns around to see a dark haired man in a long sleeve red polo shirt, black pants, black sports boots, and a black duster. The man leans against the wall eating some pudding. "Who are you?" Ron demands. "And is that my pudding?"

The man takes one last spoonful of pudding before nonchalantly tossing the spoon and empty pudding cup over his shoulder as he takes a step toward Ron and Rufus. "Oh, I think you know who I am. And yes that was your pudding."

"What did you do to my parents?"

"Well, in regards to your parents, who are very nice by the way, you can just call me the sandman and that device you're holding was my treat for them. But don't worry I have a treat for you too."

"Normally, I would be overjoyed to know I was getting a treat but in this case…" Ron says to the man as he moves slowly away from the couch to a more spacious area of the living room, "I'll have to decline but thanks any way."

The man in the duster locks his eyes with Ron's as he matches Ron's movements, keeping the distance between them constant. "Oh I think you'll like this treat. It involves you getting a front row seat as I continue what I started last night."

"So you're the Artist!" Ron exclaims. "I imagined you being taller."

"Hey at least I'm taller than… wait… what? The Artist? That's what GJ so cleverly calls me."

"Ah, hello," Ron says as he readies himself for anything. "Reality check coming. Do you really think you can beat KP? You are so done for. She's so going to beat you. That is, if there is anything left of you when I'm done." Ron then assumes a fighting stance.

"Oooo, I'm shaking in my boots here." The man feigns fear. "And regarding KP, I'm not going to beat her," the man says reaching into his duster pocket, "I'm going to break her." Instantly he pulls out his small hand tranquillizer gun and aims it at Ron. "Now, I know this is going to be hard for you but don't do anything stupid. Otherwise, regrettable things will ensue."

Ron turns to Rufus perched on his shoulder and locks eyes with him for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the man in the duster. He steals a glance at his incapacitated parents. _Can't do anything without putting my parents at risk here. _"All right," Ron says as he slowly raises his hands in surrender. Rufus reluctantly follows suit. Both throw angry, dirty looks at the man.

"If looks could kill," the man says throwing a mischievous grin back at them. "But they don't." He reaches into another of his duster's pocket and pulls out a small shackle with a short metal chain attached to it. "Here, for your little buddy there," the man says tossing the shackle toward Ron.

Ron stares at the shackle for a few moments before he gently grabs Rufus off his shoulder and reluctantly places him into the shackle, locking him in. "Sorry, buddy"

"It's okay," Rufus reassures him.

"Now, place him slowly on the floor," orders the man still aiming the tranquillizer gun at Ron. Ron does as ordered before slowly returning to his previous position of surrender. The man smiles. "I must confess. I didn't really have a plan to deal with the scenario of you calling my bluff about regrettable things happening if you tried to be a hero."

"Then what did you plan?" asks a slightly perplexed Ron.

"This," says the man before pulling the trigger.

Instantly, Ron feels a sharp pain in his stomach. Looking down he sees a small embedded dart. He pulls it out just before the dizziness starts. He quickly loses his balance as his legs weaken and shortly buckle underneath him. On his knees, he looks at the man, now just a blur to him, before his eyelids close and he falls forward, hitting the floor with his chin.

Rufus, because of the shackle engulfing him, can only watch in horror at the ensuing events. A concerned and panic look crosses his face, but relief quickly replaces it as he sees Ron still breathing. The man walks quietly to Rufus, stoops down, and grabs the attached chain roughly, yanking Rufus off his feet. The man stares at Ron's motionless form before looking at Rufus, who is suspended in mid air and throws an angry look at the man. The man responds with a smirk before placing his finger on Rufus and spinning him.

"Whoa," Rufus exclaims as he spins for a short time before the man grabs him gently, stopping his momentum. A dizzy, sick look develops on Rufus as he tries not to throw up.

Looking directly at Rufus, the man says with satisfaction, "Well, my little friend, one down… well actually two if I count you." A sinister smile forms on his face. "A couple more guests to round up and then theparty can begin."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Kim lies asleep on top of her bed in her darken bedroom. She has changed into her teal long sleeve shirt, black jeans, and black sneakers before disconnecting her phone. She just wants to be alone. She has not felt alone for quite sometime, at least for enough time to gather her thoughts and really come to grips with what happened to her the night before.

Suddenly, her kimmunicator beeps. She hesitates for a moment before picking it up and answering it.

"Hey, Wade," she answers as she sits up and turns on the lamp on her lampstand.

"Hey, Kim," Wade says with a smile, "I just wanted to see how you were doing." He noticed her slightly standoffish demeanor. "Is this a bad time?"

"Wade," Kim says, "don't take this the wrong way but…"

"Say no more. I understand." He shoots her a comforting smile. "You've been through a lot. You need some time by yourself."

"Thanks, Wade," Kim says offering a weak smile back.

She ends their transmission with the press of a button and places the kimmunicator on top of the nightstand next to her before turning off her lamp and lying back down onto her bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she reaches for her panderoo sitting beside her and hugs it close to her chest.

_Why? Why me? Is it because I'm a hero or something more? Could it be revenge like Ron suggested? I've busted so many bad guys besides my regular foes that maybe one took it very personally or someone associated with them took it a little harsh. But he had me. Why no grand revelation about why he did it or who he is? No. This can't be about revenge. Then what? Does he want to just make a name for himself? Take me down, show to all the villains he did it, and bang, instant villain fame. _

She turns on her side, still hugging her plush little friend to her chest, and closes her eyes from unknown exhaustion.

_Or can it be that he wants to prove something to himself or to someone else, not caring for fame but some twisted sense of accomplishment? Whatever. It doesn't matter… at least not right now. _

She hugs her panderoo tighter.

_I just want to move on and forget about this._

She slowly drifts to sleep.

Outside, in the early evening, a navy blue sedan pulls up a few houses away from the Possible residence.

"How does it look?" asks the driver to his companion sitting in the passenger's seat.

"Quiet," answers the companion as he stares at a small screen inside his black hand-held monitor. It shows an overhead view of the Possible house. After a few silent moments, the companion turns to his partner. "Do you really think he'll show up? I mean this soon."

"You heard Dr. Director," the driver says still facing forward, "no body was found at the site, which means he's still out there."

"If he's still after Possible, then shouldn't we have more agents around?"

"It might cause some suspicion. This is our best… second… chance to get this creep. You know what he did to Susan, Charlie, and Noah. This guy's got to be stopped and put away."

"Haven't we tried this before? I mean the whole using Possible as bait thing. The last time we did… not that successfully."

"Last time we weren't in position. This time we are. Anything seems out of the ordinary, we call HQ and this place will be swarmed in minutes. Besides, HQ has the satellites honed in on this neighborhood. If we miss something, they'll sure to catch it. We'll get this…"

A gentle tapping close to his ear interrupts the driver. He turns to his left to see a dark haired man smiling back at him through the automatic windows, which he rolls down.

"Hi," the man cordially says offering his hand, which the driver accepts hesitantly, "I'm Norm, from a few houses down, and I couldn't help but notice you boys sitting in your car for a while." Norm places his hands in his duster pockets. "Just wanted to know what's up."

The driver turns to his companion. Both exchange perplexed looks before the driver turns back to the man. "We've only been parked here for a few minutes. We're just waiting for a friend who lives here." He points to the nearest house.

"Hmmm," replies Norm. He slowly pulls out something in his pocket. "Really? I just thought you two were GJ agents on a pathetic stakeout in a futile attempt to capture the Artist." He throws a small circular, metallic object in the sedan. "My mistake."

Instantly, a blue gas explodes out of the device choking the two men. They cough and gag painfully for a few minutes before falling forward in their seats. The man stares at their unconscious forms and shakes his head, "You guys might as well be holding signs reading 'We're GJ agents. Come and incapacitate us please.'"

He reaches into his pant pocket and pulls out a small remote. Pressing a button, his white van instantly materializes a few feet behind the sedan. He climbs inside and reaches over to his laptop computer sitting on the passenger side of the seat. A small, portable satellite dish, attached to the laptop, rests on top of the dashboard. Opening the laptop, an image of the Possible residence from overhead fills its screen.

_Have to make this trip quick, no way to know how long it will take GJ to figure out that I've tapped into their satellite frequency and they're watching a feedback loop of images taken twenty minutes ago or the fact that their two agents' lights are out. Whichever one comes first. Either way I have to hurry._

He inserts the key into the ignition and starts the van. "I just love pressure," he softly exclaims sarcastically to himself as he drives toward the Possible house.

"Honey, I'm concerned about Kim?" Mrs. Possible says to her husband as they and their twin sons, Jim and Tim, gather at the dinner table. "She's been in her room all day."

"Kimmie's been through something horrible. Maybe, we should give her some space before we push her to talk." says Mr. Possible.

"I'm also worried about Ron. He hasn't been back yet. I hope his parents weren't too hard on him."

"They know about the risk involved in Kim's missions. Normally, if Kimmie wasn't held hostage by some mad man, I would be glad Ron's not here."

"What!" Mrs. Possible almost shouts in shock at what her husband has just said. "I thought you got over your issues about Ron."

"Oh, I have come to grips that he's a boy… who's dating my little girl. I trust him with her… most of the time. You know come to think of it, they do spend…" He stops as he sees the unpleasant look his wife throws at him. The boys just stare at him. "Ah… what I meant was that now he and Kimmie have deepen their friendship, he just spends a lot of his time over here… a lot… as in everyday."

"As opposed to when they weren't exchanging cooties," Jim chimes in.

"Jim, there will be no talk of cooties at the dinner table," Mr. Possible chides him. "And good point."

"I'm going to see if she wants to come down for dinner," Mrs. Possible tells her boys. She gets up and exits the dinning room. She climbs the stairs to the second floor and walks toward the few stairs leading to Kim's bedroom in the attic.

Upon entering Kim's darken, moon lit bedroom, she sees her daughter's sleeping form lying on top of the bed. Mrs. Possible silently approaches the bed. She can barely hear Kim's gentle breathing. Mrs. Possible reaches over and softly places her hand on Kim's shoulder.

"Kim," she says as she gently rocks her daughter's sleeping form awake. "Kim?"

Suddenly, she feels a hand quickly grab her wrist, applying a painful wristlock. Mrs. Possible falls forward on the edge of the bed with a slight grimace of pain. The light on the nightstand near Kim's bed turns on. "Mom?" Kim exclaims in shock and immediately releases her mother's wrist. "Are you all right?" Kim asks with concern and guilt. "I'm so sorry I…"

"It's all right Kim," Mrs. Possible says comforting her daughter as she rubs her recently released wrist. The pain subsides and soon dissipates. Mrs. Possible sits down on Kim's bed and faces Kim, who sits Indian style while hugging her panderoo. Mrs. Possible reaches over to Kim's right hand and places it in hers.

Their eyes meet. Kim's eyes tell of an immense yearning to divulge something. Mrs. Possible's eyes coax her daughter to let it out. Within seconds, Kim eyes tear up releasing what she has been pent up. Her mother immediately embraces her in a hug, sandwiching panderoo between them. Mrs. Possible rubs circles on Kim's back with her hand while coaxing her to continue releasing what needs to be released. "Shhhh," Mrs. Possible says softly and soothingly into her daughter's ear. "It's all right, baby. It's all right." She gently kisses Kim's temple as her daughter continues to cry.

"Can we eat now?" the boys whine in unison.

"Not until your mother and or sister come back," Mr. Possible tells them. _Have to preoccupy them. _"So, what did you boys do today?"

"We made some modifications to the Jimminator. This time it'll stay in the air… before exploding," Jim says to his father.

"Yeah," agrees Tim, "except it's the Timminator."

"As if," replies Jim.

"So if," shoots back Tim.

"So if? What does that even mean?"

"It means… it's called the Timminator okay."

Mr. Possible smiles._ That did it._ Suddenly, the door bell rings. "I'll get it," Mr. Possible says to no one in particular. He leaves the dinning room and his arguing boys and heads for the front door. Opening it, he finds a pleasant face staring right at him. "Hello. May I help you?"

"Yes," says the dark haired man wearing a black duster. "I was wondering if I could use your phone to call in a tow truck." He steps aside in order for Mr. Possible to clearly see a white van parked outside. Its hood is up and a small amount of smoke shoots up from the engine. The man turns back to Mr. Possible.

"Sure," Mr. Possible says stepping aside and allowing the man to come in. He closes the front door while the man places his right hand in his duster pocket. "The phone's right there and the phonebook is…" He pauses pensively for a second.

"Thanks," the man says turning to Mr. Possible. "You are so kind."

"Oh, don't think anything of it," Mr. Possible says with a wave. "If you have the power to help someone, then help them."

The man sighs almost regretfully. "Actually, I almost feel guilty," the man says.

"Guilty of what?" asks a perplexed Mr. Possible.

"About this," the man says quickly pulling out a handgun tranquillizer and firing a dart into Mr. Possible's stomach.

Mr. Possible looks down at the dart protruding from his stomach. Instantly, the man places one of his hands on Mr. Possible's mouth while pinning him against the wall. Mr. Possible struggles to free himself but the tranquillizer quickly takes effect and he soon weakens and falls into unconsciousness. The man slowly lowers Mr. Possible's limp body and gently places him on the floor, being carefully not to make a sound.

He hears the boys' voices emanating from the dinning room and silently makes his way to them. He peers inside and sees the twins, who are still arguing, sitting at the dinning table. With the tranquillizer gun in hand, he quickly enters the dining room and shoots the twins in their arms.

"Ahhhh!" Jim and Tim utter in pain before slumping unconsciously in their chairs.

Kim, her eyes now red, gently pulls away from her mother, who looks back down at the entrance on the floor.

"That sounded like Jim and Tim," Mrs. Possible says. "It can be too serious. The house is still standing. Still, I'd better see what this is all about… and check if your father is all right." She looks back at Kim, who wipes her eyes with her right hand and smiles. "I'll be right back, Kim." Kim nods sniffling and Mrs. Possible leaves heading downstairs and to the dinning room.

Kim continues wiping the few remaining tears from her eyes when the kimmunicator beeps. Taking a deep breath, she reaches over, picks up the kimmunicator and answers it. "What's the sitch, Wade?"

Wade notices the evidence of Kim's recent activity plastered clearly on her face. "Sorry. Definitely the wrong time but I'm worried about Ron."

"Why? Has something happened to him?"

"I don't know. I tried calling him on his cell phone, but no answer. I figured he was probably still tired because of last night. So I tried later and…"

"No answer," Kim says as worry begins to develop within her.

"Right. So I decided to scan for his microchip and I found its signal heading straight for your house."

Kim becomes perplexed. "So he's heading for my house. I don't see the problem."

"That scan was ten minutes ago. He should be there now."

"But he's not here," Kim says as her concern continues to grow. "Wade, scan for him again."

"I did."

"Where is he?"

"Outside your house," Wade says. "He's not moving."

Kim begins to get up from her bed and head outside to check on Ron. _I hope he's all right. _

"Kim, wait," Wade calls out. Kim stops. "There more. I checked on the GPS satellites and there is a white van parked outside your house." Kim listens attentively. "Ron's signal is coming from inside the van."

"Nooo!" Mrs. Possible screams from below.

It immediately catches Kim's attention. "Wade," Kim says still staring in the direction of her mother's scream, "call GJ and tell them their boy is here."

"Doing it now," Wade says as he rapidly assaults his keyboard with his fingers.

"Please and thank you," Kim says in a soft, steady, and cold tone as she quietly heads out of her room and down the stairs to the second floor. She ends the transmission as she stops at the top of the main stairs and puts the kimmunicator into her pocket. She cautiously makes her way down the stairs, keeping her guard up. Quietly, she checks the living room.

_Nothing._

Then she silently heads for the dinning room. Peering inside, she sees the motionless forms of her family lying on their backs on the dinning room floor. "Mom! Dad! Jim! Tim!" She quickly dashes toward them and stoops down along side each, checking to see if they're all right. _They're still breathing. Thank goodness. _Then, scanning her mother's body, she sees something protruding out of her mother's stomach. Reaching over, she pulls it out and brings it up to her face. _A tranquillizer dart!_

"Tell me," a male voice says behind her, "what do you see?"

Dropping the dart on the floor, Kim slowly stands up as she recognizes the voice that she may never forget instantly. She turns around setting her now hard, cold narrowed eyes on her recent captor for the first time.

"I'll tell you," the man says smiling, "It's me."

"You made a big mistake coming here," Kim says staring him down with those hard eyes. She balls both hands, hanging along her sides, into tight fists. "This so isn't your MO. So, what's with the change? Tired of hanging in the shadows and jumping people from behind."

"Oh no, I still like that," the man says as he walks toward the dinning table and closer to Kim. She brings her fists up and gets into a fighting stance. "I just decided to make our game a little more interesting with a more direct approach."

Instantly, he picks up a plate of food and flings it toward Kim's head. As she ducks, the man charges right at her pinning her against the wall behind her and driving his shoulder into her gut. Momentarily stunned, Kim retaliates by driving her elbow straight down on the back of his head. She quickly follows that by placing both her hands on the back of his head and pushing his face down toward her rising knee. The man stumbles backward losing his balance and falling on his back.

"You are so lucky that wasn't my mom's fine china," she says as she moves toward him.

The man slowly picks himself up and adopts a fighting stance. _Now I remember why I don't go the direct approach too often._

Kim again adopts her fighting stance. "I'll give you this," she says to him, "you're not as fashion challenged as some of my other foes."

"Thanks," he says, "I try."

He quickly throws a punch, which Kim easily avoids. Kim quickly follows with an uppercut but the man side steps and she only connects with empty space. He quickly grabs her arm and wrist, pulling her toward him, and driving his knee into her gut. Air escapes her, as she again is stunned. Instantly, he grabs her head and shoulder driving the back of her head into the wall again. The impact, which creates a reasonably sized hole in the drywall, disorients her, and she stumbles forward. Not letting up, the man places one hand on her forehead and the other on her upper arm while simultaneously sweeping her legs out from underneath her and, with all his weight, drives her head down on the dinning room floor as they both crash to the floor. The impact knocks Kim out.

The man slowly pushes himself off the floor. Taking a cleansing breath, he looks down at the unconscious Kim. "You know, I thought this would have lasted longer. I'm slightly disappointed." He feels the throbbing pain of his face slowly intensifies. He gently touches his nose and a grimace of pain slowly escapes him. "Well, most of me is anyway." He stoops down next to her and delicately brushes a strand of her hair from her face. "But don't worry," he says reaching into his inside duster pocket, "we still have one more round to go."


	15. Chapter 14

"I'm telling you Dr. Director," a frustrated Wade says, "Kim's in trouble." His image takes up half of GJ's command center's main screen while a satellite image of the Possible home fills the other half.

"Wade, all I'm seeing is a placid scene. There is no sign of anything foul. Besides, my two agents haven't called in yet."

"And I have the feeling that they're not going to for a while." Wade pauses pensively before a notion hits him. "Have you checked your satellites? They could have been tampered with."

Dr. Director walks up to a seated agent manning a computer console. "Check on our satellites, Agent Gibbs," Dr. Director orders.

"Yes, Doctor," replies Agent Gibbs as he quickly initiates a system's check.

"Agent Web, contact our field agents over there," Dr. Director orders another agent wearing a headset sitting a short feet away at the communication station.

"Yes, Doctor," replies Agent Web, who quickly starts to contact the two field agents.

"Doctor," says Agent Gibbs, "system's check is complete and there seems to be a pirate signal piggybacking our satellite signal."

"Can you pinpoint it?"

"I all ready have, Doctor. It's emanating from the Possible house… twenty feet away."

"Doctor," Agent Web chimes in shaking his head, "they not responding."

"Okay," Dr. Director says, "this doesn't bode well."

"I'll save the told you so's for later," Wade says.

"Much appreciated," Dr. Director says to him. She quickly presses her wrist communicator. "Agent Du, initiate code red."

Agent Du stands near the tubes, along with a group of armed agents. "Yes, Doctor." He turns to his comrades and shouts, "Code red."

Immediately, they rush pass him and enter, one at a time, the tubes and instantly get sucked up. He waits for a few moments until he alone remains before stepping into a tube and getting sucked away.

Back at the command center, Dr. Director presses her wrist communicator once again. "Agent Jackson," she says, "code red."

In the hanger, a red headed female agent receives the order over a loud speaker. She stands with four other agents. "All right, you guys. It's time to fly."

They run toward five, small hover jets. Soon, the massive overhead doors of the hanger slowly open revealing the starless night sky. Within minutes, each hover jet, one at a time, exit the hanger and make their way to Middleton.

Standing over the motionless bodies of the Possible family, the man reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a small remote. He presses a button before making his way to the kitchen.

_Need to get some ice. Man, she is a lot stronger than she looks._

Outside, the hood of the van suddenly closes. Seconds later, it starts up automatically as a thick metal coating engulfs the van from its undercarriage up, making it appear as a silver van possessing no windows. It backs up a few feet before accelerating toward the Possible house and crashing into the living room.

Avoiding the debris littering the carpeted living room floor, the man, carrying ice wrapped in a paper towel, makes his way to the van. He presses another button and the metal coating recedes revealing the van's original color. He walks to the van's side and opens the door. An unconscious Ron, bound in duct tape, and a caged Rufus greet him as he leans inside and grabs a roll of duct tape.

"Make some room, boys," says the man. "You're about to get some company." He turns and heads back to the dinning room.

"Oh-no," says a worried Rufus.

A few minutes pass, and the man returns carrying a bound Jim and Tim underneath both arms. He gently places them inside the van before returning to the dinning room. Seconds later, he returns to the van carrying the limp, bound body of Mrs. Possible over his shoulder and places her next to her twin boys. He gently brings the ice wrapped in a paper towel up to his nose.

"Ow!" he softly utters as he walks back into the dinning room. He emerges with Mr. Possible, bound and unconscious, draped on his shoulder and heaves him into the van. "There," he says as he closes the van door, "soon the fun will begin and… ow!" He places the ice back on his face. "Going to have to use the nanobots to fix this," he says to himself as makes his way to the driver side of the van and climbs in. He buckles his seat beat and places the paper towel filled with ice on the dashboard. Reaching over to his laptop, he discovers that his piggyback signal has been discovered.

_Wow! Ten minutes. I thought it would have taken them longer. All well, time to jet._

Just as he starts his van, Will Du and a group of agents armed with stun weapons surround the Possible house. Seconds later, Agent Du enters the living room through the gapping hole.

"Stop right there, Artist," Agent Du says holding up his hand. "Exit the van and lie on the ground."

The man just stares blankly. "Are you kidding?" he asks under his breath before flooring the gas pedal. Agent Du leaps out of the barreling van's way. A male agent rushes over to his side as they watch the van race away down the street.

"I don't know why you do that, sir," says the agent as he helps Agent Du up. "They never listen."

Ignoring the comment, Agent Du contacts the five hover jets soaring towards Middleton. "The suspect is escaping in a white van. Repeat, the suspect is escaping in a white van."

"Understood, sir," replies a feminine voice. "He'll be in radar range soon."

A few miles down the street, the man stops his van and initiates its stealth mode once again. Within moments the van shimmers out of sight. Pressing a small button near the steering wheel, the radio flips in and a small control panel appears. He presses a few buttons on it and within seconds, the sound of gears and mechanical joints can be heard. Soon, other panels, dials, and visual displays appear in the van's dashboard before the sounds stop.

With the press of a button, the invisible van begins to hover off the ground and slow ascends toward the night sky. At the appropriate height, the man presses the gas pedal causing the van to rocket toward a place he knows all to well.

_Time to go home._

"Did you get a visual on the van?" asks an anxious Agent Du.

"Negative, sir," replies the now despondent feminine voice. "He lost us before we ever found him."

"Blast!" Agent Du exclaims. A sigh filled with frustration escapes his gritted teeth before a female agent calls to him.

"Sir, we found someone unconscious in the house."

"That's expected."

"Sir, it's Kim Possible."

"What?" Agent Du says taken aback. Then a realization hits him. "Is there anyone else in the house?"

"No sir. No one else."

"Then he has them. He has her entire family. But why?"

"Maybe," the female agent says looking on as the unconscious body of Kim, lying on a stretcher, is carried off by two agents, "she'll know."

She opens her eyes, which are greeted by a bright light from overhead. "Not again," she mumbles to herself as she closes her eyes and places her hand over her eyelids. After a few moments, she slowly sits up.

_I'm on a bed._

Pain fills her head as she opens her eyes and looks around. An assortment of empty medical beds surround her.

_I'm back in the GJ sickbay._

She looks down at her chest.

_And I'm wearing a gown. Wait!_

She scans the room once more and finds that she's the only one in the sickbay.

_Where are… He has them! He has my family! I have to get out of here!_

Kim throws her blanket off and gingerly gets off her bed. Once on her feet, she feels lightheaded and weak kneed. She braces against the bed in order to stop herself from collapsing onto the floor. Just then Doctor Hart walks in.

"Oh no, you don't," he scolds Kim as he rushes over to her and gently grabs her arm. "You're in no condition to be standing let alone walking."

"He has my family. I have to save them." She pushes Doctor Hart away.

"And that's what he wants you to do," says a feminine voice from the sickbay's push doors. Kim and Doctor Hart look to find Dr. Director standing a few feet from the exit.

"He knows that's what I'll do," Kim says as she straightens herself up, her strength slowly returning. "He wants me, remember."

"Then why would he…"

"…take my family? Because… he's decided to make this endeavor, this game, this… whatever more interesting. He's changed his tactics."

"This doesn't make sense. He had you right where he wanted you. Why didn't he take you?"

"You've been in the fighting of villainy longer than I have. Let's see… taking the more elaborate measure to achieve his goal of ruining my life and calling it art than the more direct, sensible approach. So old school villainy."

"It would seem that way. The lack of practicality is a dead give away. But you'll be walking into a trap."

"Ah, yeah, but what choice do I have? He has my family and he's using them as bait to lure me to some standard final climatic showdown."

"But you don't even know where they are."

"But I do," says Wade's voice through Dr. Director's wrist communicator.

"Wade?" Kim asks. She makes her way to Dr, Director, who brings her wrist communicator up so that they can talk with Wade.

"How did you…" Dr. Director stops, realizing who she's speaking to. "Never mind. So, how did you find his location?"

"He has Ron. So, I just followed his chip's signal. Granted, there was those two hours when I wasn't picking up anything but it's now coming in loud and clear for the past several minutes."

"Slamming, Wade," Kim says.

"You have Ron chipped?" Dr. Director asks.

"Wouldn't you?" asks Wade.

"Good point," says Dr. Director. "Now, the location."

"Hold up, Wade," Kim says. "Don't tell me here with present company… present."

"What?" asks a slightly startled Dr. Director.

"This isn't about the past. What's done is done. I'm over it. I just don't want you involved… at least not this early. I'll go alone."

"You're not serious. You can't face him alone."

"No offense, but your track record in regards to this guy isn't stellar. He's outsmarted you guys before. So, if he even suspects you coming, he'll bolt and he'll be out there planning something else for me. No. This ends tonight. When I get there, Wade will give you the location. I'll keep him busy until you arrive."

"What if he just tranquillizes you again? You won't have any back up to help you. At least take Agent Du."

"No. I can't have him trying to be a hero. My family is at stake here. I can't risk it. I go alone. Just be ready when you get the call from Wade. Got it?"

"All right," Dr. Director says, finally yielding, "we'll do it your way."

"Can I have your word you won't follow me?"

Dr. Director looks Kim right in the eyes. "You have my word." She offers Kim her hand, which Kim accepts. "Good luck. We'll be ready the instant we get the call."

"Ah, hello," Dr. Hart chimes in. "You probably won't really care but as a medical doctor I must tell you that you need to rest. You received a hard blow to your head. I need to check, but you could have a slight concussion. If you do, it's probably affecting your judgment right now being as how your plan is ludicrous."

"You're right doctor. I don't care," Kim says coolly.

Doctor Hart responds by just rolling his eyes and reluctantly surrenders. "Then, I wish you the best and good luck."

"Thanks," replies Kim. She pauses for a moment before turning to Dr. Director. "There's one thing I need."

"Name it," replies Dr. Director.

"Can I have my clothes back?"


	16. Chapter 15

He stirs a little against the decorative wall he's bolted to by large metal bands wrapped around his ankles and wrists. As his vision slowly clears, his surroundings come into focus.

"Where am I?" he softly asks to himself.

Scanning the large, well lit room, he sees shelves and shelves filled with various books. A large wooden table with a glossy finish sits in the middle of the room as the bodies of various books lie upon it. Two decorative chairs with elaborate red cushions stand at attention at either end of the table while a few more stand diligently throughout the room just waiting to be occupied. Two large, stained glass oval shaped windows quietly stand watch on the wall across from him as the storm clouds begin to gather behind them.

"A library?" he exclaims. "I'm imprisoned in a library!" He shifts his eyes back and forth. "Ms. Hackett? Ummm…if this is about that time with the phantom monkeys, listen…"

A loud familiar chattering to his right grabs his attention. Turning his head, he sees a naked mole rat restrained in a similar matter as he is. "Rufus!" he exclaims overjoyed to see his friend. "So, what's hanging… besides you?"

Rufus nods his head toward Ron, chattering up a storm. "Look over there."

Bewildered, Ron turns his head to the left and sees the unconscious form of Mrs. Possible next to him bound to the wall in a similar manner as he and Rufus are.

"Mrs. P!" Ron exclaims before noticing the other forms just beyond her. Straining his head, he catches glimpses of them. "Mr. P! Jim! Tim!"

Their unconscious forms offer no response. Just then the two decorative, wooden doors, with brass knobs and hinges, at the far end of the library fly open and the man in the black duster saunters in. He glides across the library's crimson carpet and in a blink of an eye, stands a few feet before Ron and Rufus smirking confidently at them. Ron just narrows his eyes at the man in some unconscious attempt to inflict some injury at him.

The man barely notices or cares. "So, sleeping buffoon finally wakes."

"Sleeping buffoon? So lame. I hope you didn't take too long to come up with that."

With a blank expression, the man replies, "If you must know, it took a while." He then takes a step toward them. "You are probably wondering why…"

"You're using us as bait to lure Kim here. The old standard bait and lure technique. Please, like I haven't been a part of this. How many does this make it, Rufus, sixteen or seventeen? I've lost count."

Pondering for a moment, Rufus replies "Hmm, twenty."

"Really?" says a shocked Ron. "That many? Are you sure because I thought…"

"A yeah… hi," interrupts the man.

"What? Oh sorry, you were starting your rant. Please continue."

"Thank you," the man replies. He pauses to look at his other captives. "You know, I think I would like to have the entire audience's participation before I really get under way."

He reaches into his inside duster pocket and pulls out an ammonia capsule. He breaks it and places it under the nose of Mrs. Possible. Instantly, she wakes up coughing because of the strong ammonia odor. The man repeats this action with the Possible men, who respond in the same matter as Mrs. Possible.

After a few moments, Mrs. Possible regains her composure and looks up to see the last face she saw before she lost consciousness. "You!" she exclaims trying to move and quickly realizing the metal bands pinning her wrist and ankles to the wall.

"Honey?" Mr. Possible calls out as his head clears. He too realizes his wrist and ankles are bound. "What's going on here?"

"My head hurts," says Jim.

"Not as much as mine," replies Tim.

Before Jim can counter his brother's reply, he realizes his predicament. Tim quickly follows. "Hey," they cry in unison.

"What do you want with us?" asks Mrs. Possible.

"Well…" He pauses as he glances at Ron, who just innocently turns his head away. "I'm using you as bait so I can continue what I started."

"And to think I let you use our phone," says an angry and hurt Mr. Possible. "Wait a minute, what do you mean continue what you started?"

The man steps toward Mr. Possible and stops inches from his face. "Breaking… your… daughter."

"You're the Artist!" exclaims Mrs. Possible.

"The Artist?" replies Jim.

"How lame is that?" asks Tim.

"Extremely," answers the man. "But I didn't come up with it."

"Suuuure," replies Jim.

"Whatever you say," says Tim. Both snicker. The man just stares at the twins with an annoyed expression.

"What have you done with Kim?" demands Mr. Possible.

"Last time I saw your daughter she was laying on your dining room floor unconscious… you know… right after I drove the back of her hard against the wall and then the floor."

"You monster!" exclaims Mrs. Possible. "Why are you doing this to her… to us?"

"First, your involvement is nothing more than a means to an end and most likely in the end will be just… collateral damage. Second, I'll wait to tell you why because I'm probably going to have to tell the same thing to Kim when she gets here… well, first she'll have to wake up then get here. Anyway, I don't really want to repeat myself. Once is enough for me. And finally… a monster? Isn't that a bit harsh?"

"Not really," remarks Ron.

"Yeah you're right, but let's switch the focus away from me and focus it on the protagonist of this story," the man says after a pausing for contemplation.

"Protagonist…" Ron ponders for a moment. "Isn't that…"

"Oh, don't even start that," interrupts the man.

"… the main character of a story," Ron finishes his sentence. The man stares slightly dumbfounded at him. "What? Is it a big shock I know some school words? Lessons accidentally stick in, you know."

"Wait," Tim calls out. "You're after Kim, right?"

"I thought that fact was obvious," answers the man. "Was it not obvious?"

"And you knocked her out," points out Jim.

"So, why did I go through this impractical, elaborate means to get to her than I could have just simply taking her when she was defenseless again?"

"Yeah," reply Jim and Tim in unison.

"After my lair imploded, I just couldn't let it end there. All the planning and the waiting, I couldn't let that go down the toilet. So I wanted to act fast. Now, normally I like to live out my college slogan, defy convention, but I decided to use the tried and true villain plan of capturing the hero's loved ones in an obvious attempt to lure the hero into a final, climatic showdown. Plus, this is more exciting then the other way."

"The other way in which you would win," says Tim in a matter of fact tone.

"Well… when you put it that way," says their captor. "But there are other ways to win."

"If you hurt my daughter, I swear…" threatens an irate Mr. Possible.

"News flash, rocket man, I already have. In fact, I brought a little audio to… liven up this party."

He reaches into his right, outside duster pocket and pulls out a tape recorder. He pushes play. Instantly, Kim's pain filled screams dance throughout the library and in their heads, shattering her loved ones hearts and unleashing an unforgiving anger at the man. Each tries to break their bonds, not to get away, but to tear apart the man who had inflicted so much on her in such a way as to make her scream relentlessly in agony, who smiles at them as they try to break their unyielding bonds, and who wants to continue to make her suffer for reasons known only to him. All soon tire themselves out, but lash out at the man in other ways.

"You're worst than a monster!" screams Mrs. Possible. "You're a… a…"

"…sick freak!" exclaims Jim.

The man pushes stop on the tape recorder. "Oh, come on. Now that's harsh. Okay, I'll give you the sick part. Can't really argue against that. But freak. It's not like I dip my French fries in my milkshake before eating them or put marshmallows on… on… hot dogs. Now that's scary."

"Not as scary as I'm going to be once I get out of these bands," growls Mr. Possible.

The man chuckles as Mr. Possible's threat only adds to his amusement. "Promises… promises… promises, Mr. Possible. Don't make them unless you can keep them. In fact, I'll promise you one thing. When Kim makes her dramatic entrance, and we all know she will, what will happen next won't be dull." He takes a few steps back, smiling at his captives and allows his words to sink in. "Now, I think I'll prepare myself for the climatic showdown between the lovely and beautiful heroine." Striding toward the two doors he used to enter the library, he stops and looks at his captives, who each throw death glares at him. Smiling, he continues walking, leaving the library and its occupants alone.

Outside, the storm clouds continue to gather. A short bluff stands proudly on top of a small peninsula sticking out onto a large C shaped lake named Colbert. It reeks with American pride and patriotism and, looking down from above, resembles an amoeba ready to engulf its food. A legion of pines and other conifers stand and watch, waiting for something to come.

High on the bluff, the darken figure of a old, brick and stone mansion stands above them and the stirring surface of Lake Colbert while its two lit, large, and oval windows looking out toward the lake resemble eyes peering straight into the ever darkening night like an expectant lover waiting for her lost love to return from a distance journey. Slashing through the lake's restless surface, a small motor boat, guided by the light from those large eyes, makes its way toward the bluff. On board, two figures clad in orange life vests sit and rock up and down as the boat crashes into the slowly growing waves. One, a middle age, man with thinning hair, sits at the back and mans the motor. He looks worriedly up at the blacken sky as the first whispers of thunder begin to tickle his ears.

Soon they would become screams.

The other passenger sits and stares up and back at those yellowish, white eyes with her green ones. Within that house wait the ones dearest to her and her present antagonist. She looks down at her kimmunicator as a strong wind gust rocks the boat a little and blows through her red hair. On the kimmunicator's screen, a small pulse continues to intensify.

_Hang on guys! I'm coming!_

Suddenly the kimmunicator beeps, prompting Kim, dressed in mission gear, to press the answer button. Instantly, Wade's face appears on the screen. "Go, Wade," says Kim.

"The signal from Ron's chip is coming from that house. I've used the thermal scans to confirm that there are six people and one naked mole rat in there. The majority are isolated in a large room facing the lake."

"And the minority?"

"One heat signature is, at the moment, stationary and alone in a nearby room."

"That's got to be him. Contact GJ, Wade."

"Right away Kim but they're going to be a while."

"The storm."

"Yeah, it's moving pretty fast. It might hold them up for a few minutes. You're going to be on your own for…I'll say… twenty minutes."

"Perfect."

"Kim, there's another problem. From my calculations, you won't make it to the other side of the lake and to the house before this storm hits. You would be fifty yards from shore when the storm hits. I don't think your small boat can survive this storm in the open."

"I agree," says the middle aged man, who raises his voice over the strengthening howls of the wind.

"If Mr. Shaw turns back now, Wade, would he make it back to shore before the storm hits?" Kim asks with concern.

"Yeah, he would," answers Wade.

"Good," Kim says. She turns to Mr. Shaw. "I guess this is where we part company. Thanks again, Mr. Shaw, for the lift."

"Miss. Possible, it's the least I could do after you saved me from becoming shark chum."

"No big!" She removes her lift vest and reaches down for her backpack sitting next to her. "Just make sure the next time you square off against a twenty-five foot, three ton Great White terrorizing a small coastal town, you do it in a bigger boat."

"I will," says Mr. Shaw. "Goodspeed, Miss Possible."

"Thanks," Kim says putting on her backpack.

"Same here," says Wade.

Kim smiles and nods at Wade's image before it tunes out. She stands at the boats bow and presses her belt buckle. Instantly, her backpack bursts apart as her jetpack's confined wings spread out and stretch to their designed fullness. A small robotic arm places her blue helmet on her head. Placing both hands on the jetpack's handles, she presses the ignition buttons with her thumbs, starting up the jetpack's booster rocket. Within seconds, the jetpack rockets her into the dark, night sky. Through her helmet's yellow tinted visor, she sets her sights and flight path toward the two yellowish, white oval eyes high on the bluff.

"When is Kim coming?" whines Tim.

"Yeah, I mean now would be a good time to make one of her heroic entrances," responds Jim.

"Now, boys," Mr. Possible says. "Kimmie will be here. We just have to be patient." He writhes slightly as he experiences some discomfort.

Mrs. Possible notices immediately. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing dear, it's just… it's just these darn bands. My wrists and ankles are starting to chafe."

"Yeah, wrist and ankles do that when they're you know… bound," Ron says. "After the first couple of times I was captured and bound, man my wrist would not stop itching for days. Pretty soon though, I got use to it. Now my wrists can be bound for days without chafing."

Suddenly, one of the oval stain glass windows shatters with a loud crash as Kim flies through it. Glass rains onto the crimson carpeted floor.

"Finally," Jim and Tim say in unison.

Kim flies once around the library before landing near the shattered window. Rain begins to pour into the library as lightning dances across the sky. Kim removes her jetpack, which drops dully to the floor behind her. She removes her helmet and throws it aside as she rushes over to her family.

"Oh, Kim," cries Mrs. Possible.

"Nice entrance Kimmie," Mr. Possible says.

"Thanks, dad. Are you guys all right?"

"Except for some chafing, we're fine," Mr. Possible answers.

"I'll have you guys out in a few seconds," Kim says as she reaches into her pant pocket, pulling out her laser pen light.

"What's the rush?" asks a voice from the far end of the library. Everyone turns to see the man in the duster watching them from library entrance. "You just got here."

With that, the man steps into the library. Still keeping his eyes on them, he gently pushes the door closed with his foot. A loud click echoes throughout the library.


	17. Chapter 16

"Sending you the coordinates now," says Wade's image, which is on a panel screen aboard a GJ hoverjet, to Dr. Director, who sits in its copilot seat

"Coordinates received," says the pilot.

"Good," says Dr. Director. "Thank you, Wade. We'll do our best to get there as fast as we can. The storm may slow us up a bit but it won't stop us."

"Hurry, Dr. Director," says Wade before his image disappears from the screen.

Dr. Director pulls out a thin, active laptop computer from the dashboard. With a few keystrokes, a map appears on the screen showing a large, blue C-shaped mass outlined by mostly green on the outside and mostly black and brown on the inside. Using the touchpad, Dr. Director moves the focus of the screen from the C-shaped mass to a large brownish green spot.

"Since the winds are becoming too strong for our hoverjets to hover over the house, we'll have to land in this clearing. It's the only place big enough in the immediate area for the entire squadron. From there, we use the ATV's and make our way up the smooth, gently side of the bluff."

"We should reach the clearing in five minutes," informs the pilot.

"And be at the house in twenty," replies Dr. Director.

The squadron of hoverjets zooms onwards, ripping through the black, night sky.

The two combatants stare each other down while the onlookers gaze in anticipation and anxiety. Each one, a ball of tension, waits for the other to make a move, ready to react.

"Well?" asks Kim.

"Well what?" replies the man.

"This is usually the part where the villain… you, the Artist… tells the hero… me… his grand scheme."

"Okay, first, I'm really sick of that name. I promise you, before the end, you will know my name. Second, I thought this was the part where the hero… you… tells the villain… me… to let my captives go with 'This is between you and me' or 'I'm the one you want' or some other clichéd dramatic one liner."

"Fine. I'll go with the second option because it's true."

"And I bet you racked your pretty little head wondering why. Speaking of which, how's your head. It hit the floor pretty hard… you know… when I drove it down."

"It's better. In fact, I'm so grateful that I want to return the favor ten-fold."

"Ooooo. In that case, I better go into the rant. Pay attention boys and girls. It's that part of the story where you'll find out why, the realization of my motivation, my fascination, and I think an ever growing obsession, to turn Kim Possible's life into a nightmare, into a shadow of its former self. Yes, here it is, the answer to the question that's on everyone's mind."

"I see you have the rant down," says a slightly bored and deadpan Kim.

"Thank you. I was practicing in the other room a few minutes ago."

"So that's why you left the room?" asks Ron. "To practice your rant."

"Hey!" replies the man looking at the bound Ron. "I'm new at the ranting part okay? I didn't want to sound like an idiot."

"That's left to be seen," replies Kim.

"Oh, you hurt me so," says the man feigning hurt. "But not as much as I will to you."

"Yeah, you've made that abundantly clear. But…"

"… the why. Oh the why." He smiles amusingly. "You'll love this."

"Ferociously doubt it," retorts Kim.

The man takes a moment to collect himself, bringing his hands in prayer form up to his lips. He takes a deep breathe before continuing. "I wanted to see if the great Kim Possible could be taken down, broken, hollowed out, striped of everything inside her that makes her her and left empty."

"Okay, not really a reason," Kim says coldly. She continues to stare the man down. "But at this point, I'm starting to really not care anymore."

"I did it for the challenge," the man blurts out. "As I stated a few moments ago, you fascinated me. That fascination grew with every news clipping I read, every news broadcast I saw. There was no anger, resentment, or disproportional revenge behind it, just fascination to see what it would be like, if it could be done. You're Kim Possible. You're practically unstoppable, doing the impossible. And I wanted to see if I could be the first one ever… to take you down." He smiles innocently and shrugs. "I had nothing else to do."

A carnage of anger boils within Kim. Her heart pumps faster and her breathing increases. She's about to explode and it takes all she has to contain it. "You did what you did to me just because you were bored!"

"What can I say," says the man sheepishly, "it's the blue fox in me."

The waves of her anger splash onto his face. _She's about to blow. Let's see if I can set her off. _

The man continues. "In order to prepare myself for what I considered my greatest challenge, I needed practice. I couldn't just start on the fly. So I turned to good, old Global Justice. If I could break any one of its agents, I had a shot to break you. It's all about confidence, baby. And mine grew after the first agent. Now, she was spit fire. She didn't crack until four months in. During that time, I saw the art of torture, transforming a person into a sculpture of suffering, a shell of their former selves. It's just a battle with the mind. Overload its sensory input and it breaks down. How you overload it, well… that's where the imagination comes in. So I found an outlet to express myself. Now I won't bore you with details of what I did to her and then to the other two agents. But I will confess. I liked it. That power over someone you've just broken. Intoxicating. And to add a little spice to my 'works of art', little notes to entice and infuriate Global Justice. You see, bottom line, I kidnapped and broke those agents because of you. It's all because of you, Kim Possible. Yes, it's just you."

Anger becomes mixed with disgust and shock within Kim. "You are so sick… and… inhuman."

"Sick and wrong," comments Ron, who shares in Kim's disgust and repulsion. "Totally sick and wrong."

Rufus shares his agreement. "Ah-huh."

"You sir… need help," says Mr. Possible, "and lots of it."

"How can you look at yourself in the mirror?" questions Mrs. Possible. "How can you even stand there proud of what you've done?"

"So totally a sick freak," says Jim and Tim in unison.

Unfazed by their comments and disgust, the man just smirks. "Okay, now tell me how you really feel?"

Kim balls up her gloved fists along her sides. "I think I'll share my feelings through my actions."

"Well, don't keep me waiting."

Kim rushes toward the man, who likewise does the same. As soon as they meet, they engage in a heated, close combat fight. Each throws jabs, crosses, and hooks that the other sidesteps or blocks. Kim then performs a spinning right kick but the man ducks and tries a leg sweep. Kim performs a backflip, avoiding the maneuver. The man quickly gets up and spears Kim just when her feet touch the carpet, driving her to the floor. He quickly gets up as Kim hugs her mid-section. Flashes of pain stream across her face as she turns on her side. The man grabs the back of her shirt collar with one hand and grabs her belt with the other. He then lifts her up and drives her stomach down on his bended knee, inflicting still more damage. Kim cries out in pain.

"Kim!" yells Ron wearing a mask of concern on his face.

"No!" says Mrs. Possible.

"Stop it!" growls an irate Mr. Possible, who struggles to free himself from his binds.

"Come on, Kim!" Jim and Tim yell in unison, encouraging their sister.

The man, still holding on to Kim, smirks at Mr. Possible and the rest of her family before tossing her over his shoulder. He carries her to the table before slamming her on top of it. The table remains intact.

"Sturdy table," comments the man.

In quick retaliation, Kim reaches for a heavy, large book lying just above her head with both hands and slams it right into his face. The man staggers back. Kim gingerly hops off the table while still holding the book.

"Sturdy book," she retorts.

"Yes!" Jim and Tim yell simultaneously

"All right, Kim!" yells Ron.

"Yeah!" yells Rufus.

The man, still dazed while a throbbing pain screams throughout his head, throws a punch at Kim, who blocks it with the book. He instantly recoils his fist and cradles it in his other hand, grimacing in pain. Kim then swings the book at his head. He ducks just in time and jumps back a few steps.

"Strike one." Kim takes another swing, which he again avoids. "Strike two. If that's the best you got then you should head back to the minors, kid." At the instant he finishes his sentence; Kim delivers a swift kick right to the man's groin. The man freezes where he stands with a shock, wide eyed, and pain filled expression plastered on his face while all the males in the room react accordingly, sympathizing with his pain.

"Ooooo," they collectively say together as they close their eyes and turn away.

"Booyah, Kim," yells an excited Mrs. Possible.

With her target stationary, Kim swings the heavy book a third time and squarely connects with the side of the man's face. The force of the impact causes the man to leave his feet. He twirls in the air, and lands face first on the carpet.

"And it's out of here," says Kim as she tosses the book on the carpet. She cautiously stalks her nemesis, who rolls onto his back. He looks up to see her standing over him. "It's over," she says to him. The man starts to chuckle at her statement. Kim raises an eyebrow. "I miss the joke."

The man instantly stops and gives her a hard cold look. "The joke is you. You think just because you defeat me tonight that it's over. I go to jail or some GJ detention center and then what? I just give up, reform, and move on. Please. Once I start something I finished it." Kim remains silent. "This time I only kidnapped your loved ones. Next time, they're fair game."

"Stay away from them," Kim warns venomously.

"Remember what I said to you during our little time together. Choices and Consequences. The ones we make and the ones we don't. You made the choice to be a hero, to help others. And like any choice, it has its consequences. You chose to keep a high profile. Anyone who wants retaliation or just to get under your skin now and then can do it indirectly via your family and friends. I guess that's why many heroes keep secret identities in this line of work." He cautiously sits up while still looking Kim right in the eyes. "Of course there is one way…"

"No!" Kim says immediately. "I won't."

"So you have thought about it," the man says grinning. "Interesting." Still feeling the affects of the kick, he gingerly gets up. Kim, ever alert, never takes her eyes off of him. He slowly leans in and whispers in her ear, "I beg that Jos is a screamer too."

Kim snaps. She hip tosses the man unto the floor, quickly stoops down, and begins to pelt his face with punches. Each one fuelled by rage. Tears start to fall as she continues her assault.

"Kim, stop!" yells her mother.

Kim continues to punch away. Bruises and cuts form on the man's face while her knuckles begin to bleed underneath her gloves. She doesn't care.

"Don't Kim," yells Ron. "It's what he wants!"

Kim freezes in mid punch. While breathing heavily, she slowly turns her head and faces Ron with tears still streaming down her face.

"He's whole thing is to break you, to beat you," Ron continues. "He knows that you won't forgive yourself if you continue going down this road. It's just another way to ruin you. Don't let him win. Don't let it win. You made a choice to help others… to be a hero, and I made a choice to help you… to be there for you every step of the way."

"We all did, Kimmie," says Mr. Possible. "We all know the consequences of your choice and we accept them because we know who you are. You want to help others and you do. We have never been prouder."

"Yeah," Jim chimes in. "Even though you can be a pain most of the time…"

"…we think it's cool you save the world on a frequent basis," continues Tim.

"Well… almost as cool as you beating trash like that," says Jim nodding his head at the man.

"Please, baby," says Mrs. Possible, "let the authorities handle him now."

The man groans. "Please continue beating the snot out of me. I might be lucky and pass out before I have to listen to anymore of this family togetherness crude."

Kim turns to face the man and just looks at him for a moment before lifting him up by his shirt and delivering one final hard punch square in the face. The man's head snaps back from the blow before he passes out. Kim drops him roughly onto the floor before slowly getting up, shaking and breathing heavily.

She wipes her cheeks with her the back of her left hand and only responds with a smile as she makes her way to her family. "Ahhhhhh!" she screams as pain floods her body. She collapses onto the floor. _Not this again!_

"Kimmie!" yells Mr. Possible and Mrs. Possible in unison.

Jim and Tim gasp as they see their sister collapse, screaming in pain.

"Oh-no!" says Rufus.

"Kim!" yells Ron.

"Ahhh!" Kim screams again. The pain moves across her body like the lightning against the night sky outside. She can barely breathe. The intensity becomes almost unbearable. Every muscle burns with acidic pain until it stops. She lies prostrate and motionless on the carpet. Her muscles ache with pain reminiscent of muscle tear after a strenuous weight training session.

After a few moments, she stirs and tries to get up. Another shot of pain hits her as every nerve fires an overload of information to her brain. "Ahhhh!" she screams collapsing again. It stops again. This time she stays down, breathing heavily.

"What happened?" asks Jim.

"Are you all right, Kim?" asks Tim.

"Please, baby, say something," pleads Mrs. Possible as she tries to free herself from her metallic restraints.

"Weren't expecting that were you?" asks the man who slowly gets up. His face is a canvass of black and blue while blood tickles down from a cut below his right eye, but he still manages to grin at the sight he sees.

Ron looks at the man, still in shock at what has just happened when he notices the man holding a small black remote. Then he remembers what Kim told him on the hoverjet. _Ron, he injected me with some kind of nanotechnology that allowed him to inflict intense pain on me. _

"You did this to her," Ron says. Now his anger begins to boil. He struggles to get free but fails.

The man laughs. "What can I say? I have this nasty habit of injecting nanobots into an unconscious Kim Possible." The man slowly walks to his prone and vulnerable prey. He collapses onto his knees next to her body. Kim, exhausted, manages to turn her head to look at him. He smiles and looks up at her family. Each one wants to simultaneously help Kim and tear the man apart.

"I told you it wouldn't be dull," the man says to them. He takes a deep breath and soaks in the moment. A small chuckle escapes his lips before it grows into a sinister, victorious laugh. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Suddenly, the doors of the library burst open and Agent Du and a group of rain soaked GJ agents flood into the library. They quickly surround the man.

"Talk about a major let down," the man says frustrated. "Of all the times you people show competence, it has to be now."

The two agents grab the man's arms and pull him to his feet. Exhausted, battered, and bruised from his recent fight, the man offers no resistance. Agent Du stoops down next to Kim and checks on her condition.

"Maybe it was your overconfidence and arrogance that got the best of you," retorts Dr. Director as she enters into the library. Her rain soaked dark blue trench coat leaves watery tears on the crimson floor as she makes her way to the captured man.

"Good point, Doctor," replies the man. "By the way, love the eye patch. It suits you."

She stares down the man, getting a good look at the man for the first time. "Well, not as suiting as the colors black and blue on you," she retorts.

"What can I say," says the man, "girl's got spunk."

Without looking away from the man, she asks Agent Du about Kim's condition, "How is she?"

"She's alive," says Agent Du. "But she needs a doctor."

"I'm a doctor," says Mrs. Possible. "Get me out of these things so I can help my daughter!"

"Get them down Agent Du," orders Dr. Director.

"Right away," Agent Du says.

He starts to get up but Kim grabs his wrist. Turning to face her, Agent Du sees her holding her laser pen light in her other hand up to him. He flashes a quick smile before taking it from her. Kim rests her head on the carpet once more, relieved. Agent Du quickly goes to work on Mrs. Possible's metallic bands.

"Well, well looks like we finally caught you," says Dr. Director looking the man in the eyes. She quickly flashes a smile before it fades. "You're going to get what you deserve after what you did to my agents, Artist."

The man stares right back. "You know, I'm not that worried. By the way, that name, it makes me want to do this."

Suddenly, several small pellets drop from his duster sleeves and unto the carpet. Upon impact, bright flashes erupt, momentarily blinding everyone in the room. While everyone staggers and gropes the space around him or her, the man makes a mad dash toward the window Kim crashed through earlier.

"Stop him," yells Dr. Director as her eyesight returns to normal.

Several agents run after him but he reaches the window before they can apprehend him. The man jumps through the open window head first as a bright flash of lightning erupts in the night sky followed by an ear piercing boom of the thunder. Two of the agents look out the window but all they see is the darkness staring back at them as the sound of the tumultuous waves crashing and battering the bluff's rock face down below. They turn back to Dr. Director, shaking their heads and shrugging their shoulders.

Dr. Director lets out a sigh of frustration. _We had him!_ She turns around to see a freed Mrs. Possible checking on her daughter. Agent Du continues to free the others. "Dr. Possible, we'll take you and your family back to GJ headquarters. We have a medical bay where you all can get checked by our doctor."

"All right," says Mrs. Possible, who has rolled Kim unto her back and now grasp her hand. She brushes a few strands of her daughter's hair from her forehead. She smiles as Kim smiles back.

"Cool!" says Jim to Tim as they wait to be released by Agent Du. "We're going to GJ headquarters."

"Sweet!" replies Tim.

"Command," says Dr. Director through her wrist communicator.

"Yes, Doctor," replies a female voice.

"Inform Dr. Hart to prepare the medical bay," orders Dr. Director. She glances at the twins. "And go to security level two."

"Level two?" inquires the female voice.

Dr. Director glances again at the twins, who are now released from their metallic bands. Their excitement of going to GJ headquarters clearly expressed.

"Hic-a-bic-a-boo," says Jim.

"Hoo-sya," replies Tim.

"Better make that level three," says Dr. Director.

"Honey, can you get up?" asks Mrs. Possible.

"Yeah," Kim says weakly. Her muscles still burn and ache. She tries to get up.

"Here, KP," Ron says rushing to her side. He gently grabs right her arm and guides her up. "Let me help you."

"Thanks, Ron," Kim says with a smile.

Once on her feet, Ron gently places her arm over his shoulder and wraps his arm around her waist. They slowly walk toward the doors of the library. Mr. and Mrs. Possible walk hand in hand closely behind them. Jim and Tim follow, still beaming that they'll soon be at GJ headquarters. Most of the agents slowly file out close behind the Possibles. Agent Du trails behind before noticing Dr. Director standing in front of the open window with her back to him. He quietly approaches her until he's standing next to her. The wind, which has died down, and the rain, which has lessen, pelt them lightly through the open window.

"We had him Agent Du," says Dr. Director as she breaks the silence. "We had him and he got away."

"You don't think…"

"Until I see his body for myself," she says. "Take some agents and comb the area. Search everywhere, the forest, the shore, the lake. I'll take the Possibles to headquarters and send a task force with equipment to aid in the search. We have to be certain."

"Yes Doctor," says Agent Du. He quickly walks out of the library, wasting no time in fulfilling her order. Dr. Director looks out the window again. She stares out into the darkness for a moment, searching for something that might be missed if one blinks. She then lowers her eyes, turns, and walks away.


	18. Epilogue

"How are we doing today?" cordially asks Doctor Shea.

"Bite me," replies an annoyed and grouchy Gill.

Dr. Shea chuckles. "Glad to have you back, Gill." He waits expectantly for a few moments. "Well…"

The anger explodes. "I had him! I had him right where I wanted him, just me and him! And he beat me again! Agrhhhhhhh!" Gill punches the shatter proof glass. "Owww!" he yells as he quickly recoils his fist and cradles it in his other mutated hand.

"Careful there, Gill," says Dr. Shea.

Gill glares at him. "It is not over! I will have my revenge! I will have my revenge on Ron Stoppable!"

Dr. Shea stares at him for a moment before smiling. "Your treatment will be an hour. Steven will bring you your meal while I prepare the machine." He turns around and heads for the door before stopping for a moment and staring at an inattentive Gill.

"Oh the things I will do to him."

_Back to normal._

Gill stops imagining all the delicious things he'll do to Ron when he senses Dr. Shea staring at him. "What are you staring at, jerkweed?" asks Gill.

"Definitely back to normal," Dr. Shea says as he walks out and into the corridor.

"Hello, Ron," says a cheerful Mrs. Possible as she opens the front door.

"Hey, Mrs. P," responds Ron while holding a large white box.

"Hi," says Rufus from Ron's cargo pants' pocket as Ron enters the Possible household.

"So what's in the box?" asks Mrs. Possible as she closes the door.

"I baked a chocolate cake for all of us," he says as he heads to the dining room.

"Great," says Mrs. Possible, "I'll get some plates and forks."

Ron sets the box onto the dining room table. Looking up, he sees Mr. Possible in old work clothes, covered in spackle, and holding a trowel in his hand while admiring his recent drywall work. "Nice spackle job Mr. P."

"Thanks, Ronald. With the boys and their experiments, I get plenty of practice at this. As for the van sized hole in the living room… I'll just let the contractor, Mr. Taylor, work on that. I sure hope he gets that Al something. That man really knew what he was doing the last time he was here."

"You mean last week?"

"Yes. So what's in the box?"

"A chocolate cake I baked."

"Swell!"

"Is Kim in her room?"

"Yes. I think she's sleeping."

"I'll go see if she's up."

"Oh, Ronald," Mrs. Possible says as she brings in six plates and forks. "Hold on for a minute." She places the plates on the table and quickly darts back into the kitchen. A few moments later, she reappears holding a small envelope. "Since you're going up to Kim's room, could you bring this to her." She hands Ron the envelope, which he gladly takes. "It came in the mail today."

"No problem Mrs. P," he says as he places it into his cargo pants' pocket before walking up the stairs to the second floor and then up the few stairs leading up to Kim's room.

He slows his pace so not to disturb Kim and quietly sticks his head into her room. Rufus moves up onto Ron's head. They both see the sleeping form of Kim, still in her pajamas, curled up in a ball on top of her bed cover. Silently, Ron moves to the edge of her bed and crouches down next to her. He smiles as she continues to sleep peacefully, her face a picture of repose. He leans in and gently kisses her on her lips. Rufus jumps down and goes back into Ron's letter containing pocket as Ron continues his kiss, closing his eyes in contentment. Kim, with eyes still closed, responds with a smile as she moves her hand behind Ron's head. She reciprocates and deepens the kiss as she rolls onto her back taking Ron with her. They continue for a few more moments before their lips part.

"Hey Prince Charming," says Kim dreamily as she slowly opens her eyes and stares up into his. "What's up?"

"Hopefully, the sun because…" Before Ron can finish, Kim gently pulls him down and kisses him. Ron offers no resistance. After a few moments, they slowly part again. Ron just stares down at her face, losing himself in her green eyes. Then he continues. "… it would be very bad if it wasn't." Kim smiles and gently pushes Ron off. He sits on her bed facing her while she sits up. Seriousness comes into Ron's voice. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm still a little sore, but Dr. Hart gave me a clean bill of health." _Well almost a clean bill of health anyway. _

Apprehension comes over Ron, unsure whether to bring up his next question. He decides to ask. "So… do you want to talk about…"

"No," Kim quickly replies. Her bright disposition replaced by a quiet firmness. "I just want to move on."

"Okay, fair enough. But if you ever need to…"

"I know." Kim leans in and places a quick, gentle kiss on his cheek. "Thanks." Just then the kimmunicator, which sits on top of Kim's night stand next to her bed, begins to beep. Kim reaches over, picks it up, and answers it. "Hey Wade. What's the sitch?"

"Well, I wanted to see how you're feeling?" asks Wade.

"Just a little sore, no big." She senses there's more to this call. "But that's not all is it?"

"I also wanted to tell you about GJ's search of Lake Colbert and the surrounding area."

"Wild stab, they didn't find his body."

"Right, they've expanded their search area but most likely he survived. Dr. Director has assigned a special task force whose sole purpose is to apprehend the Artist. Since they know what he looks like, they've already started searching all data banks and records. So far nothing. She has also issued that all agents be briefed about the Artist and his tactics so that they will be more prepared in cased he targets anyone of them."

"Those agents don't need to worry about the Artist targeting them. He only has one target now."

"Yeah, you," says Ron whose serious face makes an appearance. "But you're not going to be facing him alone. You've got all of us."

"Yeah," says Wade.

Kim smiles. _I know guys. I know._

"Now come on," Ron says in a bright tone. "I baked a cake and it's waiting downstairs."

"All right, just give me a sec to change and I'll meet you downstairs." She gets up and heads for her closet.

Ron begins to get up to leave in order to give Kim some privacy before Rufus suddenly pops out of Ron's pocket holding the small white envelope given to Ron by Mrs. Possible.

"Note," says Rufus.

"Huh. Oh right. Hey KP."

"Yeah," Kim says turning on her heel.

"Almost forgot. Your mom gave me this to give to you. She said it came in the mail today." He holds it out to her.

"Really?" asks Kim as she grabs the envelope. "I wonder who sent it." She examines the front. "There's no return address."

"Open it," says Ron eagerly.

Kim opens the envelope and a pulls out a card. "It's a get well card." She opens it and reads the note written on it.

_Hope you feel better. Jacob. P.S. Did I not say you would know my name before the end? Well now you know. Oh don't worry. I'm not going to continue my goal right away. I need time to recover. But like the red tide, you won't know the time or the place when I'll make another guess appearance in your little drama you call life. But I can promise you it will be memorable. So rest up._

"So who's it from?" asks Ron.

Kim looks up at Ron and pauses for a moment, just staring at him. Then she smiles. "Just a well wisher." She turns around and goes behind her dressing screen.

Ron just stares at Kim's silhouette. He raises an eyebrow and looks down at Rufus who responds with a shrug. _Something's off but I'll let her be for now. _"Okay KP. I'll meet you downstairs." With that, Ron leaves Kim alone in her room.

Behind her screen, Kim stares at the smiling teddy bear holding on to a bunch of balloons pictured on the front of the card. _Ron knows I'm not telling him something. When he asks again, I'll tell him. _She opens the card and reads the message again. _Don't worry Jacob. I'll be rested and ready for you. Will you be ready for me?_ She quickly changes into familiar her green tank top and blue pants before heading down towards the dinning room.

The End


End file.
